A Heroine for a Hero
by Rinristelli
Summary: It was her dream to become a hero. But unlike the rest, she doesn't aspire to be the number one, or for the fame, and not even for the money. Because unlike a certain explosive ash-blond, she strives to run away from a nightmare, and that's what he hates about her the most. [Eventual Katsuki X OC] Slow-Romance.
1. Prelude: The Meddlesome Eyebrow Hag

**.**

 **〖** Crystal Heroine to Explosive Hero **〗**

 **〖** PRELUDE **〗**

 **The Meddlesome Eyebrow Hag**

* * *

 _I never thought that you could break me apart_

 _I keep a sinister smile and a hole in my heart_

 _You wanna get inside, then you can get in line_

 _But not this time_

(Hero/Heroine – Boys Like Girls)

* * *

 _He stares after her, his eyes unmoving from her figure as she walks away from him._

 _The arena roared when they announced his victory, but it sounded dead to him._

 _His throbbing heart – his rage – was the only thing he could hear in his ears as her words resounded in his mind._

" _I surrender."_

 _His fists shook as he recalled how those words flowed from her mouth without a second thought. At how perfectly content she looked while wearing that same damn smile._

' _This bitch…'_

She grates his nerves much like how Deku does.

Simply put, he hated her. Yet it was a different sensation entirely.

She was annoying, yes. Teeth grittin', mind numbing, table flippin', frustrating-as-hell _annoying_.

To him, at least.

The fools love her. Always fawning over at how polite she was, or at how nice, or pretty, or how damn fucking angelic she was. It was unbelievable how everyone was actually stupid enough to not suspect anything beyond than what she shows them.

But he knew better.

It was a façade. A front. And he could tell…

She's hiding something.

After all, what kind of a person manages to smile easily even when facing an explosive, literal walking bomb like himself and still look like she's having a damn promenade? Forget about being a hero-in-the-works, she didn't even flinch or sweat, or look even the slightest intimidated by his power.

Such prenatural composure could only be a mask.

 _This girl whose expression never seems to change, who never tires of displaying a soft smile…_

 _This bitch was something else._

He recalls the day they first met. The first day of class, the budding of spring.

He remembers how much of a shitfest that day had been when he learned he was once again stuck in the same class as Deku (for the umpteenth time in a decade). Even worst, the quirkless freckled-fuck was actually NOT quirkless! And to top it all off, this insulting girl shows up, completely disregards the fact that the road to becoming a Top Hero was a competition, and then promptly butts her nose into _his_ business!

Suffice to say, she was the cherry on top of a perfectly cluster fucked day.

And little did he know it was just the beginning.

He never really expected much of her, like how he never really expected much from all of them although she stuck out like a sore thumb in his eyes. She was simply a meddlesome thick-browed bitch who seemed to have a thing for Deku (fucking _Deku_ of all people!)

She was a plague he didn't want anywhere near. Yet at the same time, he was eager to put her in her place.

And now he finally had his chance.

She was no less than a threat as she was an annoyance. He had wanted to end her quickly. And he was super confident too, as he never really saw her as a hazardous opponent, not even with her quirk and its versatility that was on par with his own.

But now when he faced her in a one on one tournament...

Her Quirk…It wasn't bad.

 _His right cheek tingles and stings, and he tries not to think about how almost ethereal she looked when her crystallized shards fell all around her like sparkling rain._

 _And those eyes…_

No, it wasn't bad at all.

 _At that moment his blood felt like fire in his veins. His heart pumping with excitement as a feral grin started to spill over his features. He felt it. He saw it._

 _Her eyes weren't that of a placid monotone anymore, her lips were no longer sporting that same soft smile._

 _He had succeeded in provoking her, and now she was finally going to fight back with everything she has._

 _Oh how he couldn't wait to break her then, to bruise her, to make her never forget how terrifyingly strong he really is when he conquers her at her full power._

It didn't matter. He was going to take them down, the best of the best, one by one and take the number one spot for himself.

This girl was just another stepping stone.

 _He released his inner beast._

 _She did not disappoint._

 _They clashed, exchanged blows, shared the same maniacal smile that would only ever show when feeling that distinct joy of a heated battle, the adrenaline making him laugh. They didn't even realize that they were barely using their quirks anymore. Just lashing and countering, giving and taking with everything they've got._

 _They fought and parried until they eventually ran out of stamina. It was a draw._

If he was going to be completely honest with himself, he felt amazed at that moment. To think that she actually exceeded his expectations, or lack thereof. And it wasn't just her quirk, but her very being when she fought.

 _It was supposed to be settled with a simple good ole arm wrestling. Stupid, but it had to be done. Someone had to be the winner, and no matter how much he enjoyed their clash, he was going to show her no mercy when he breaks that slender arm of hers into submission._

 _He was still on high from their heated battle, the fierce grin never leaving his face even as he panted for breath. And he could tell, from the way her chest rose and fell for air, to her still gleaming eyes, that she felt the same._

 _But then she suddenly stood up and regained her composure. One blink was all it took for her to shatter their perfectly warped world of power._

 _And when she said those words that was still ringing in his head, he felt something shatter within him. Though that would probably be his expression as he gaped at her with disbelief, his heart still thrumming loudly as he watched her leave the stage they were in._

 _Unacceptable._

 _He wouldn't let it end just like that, with her pulling him into her pace much like how she did to everyone else._

" _Stop…Stop right there! DON'T YOU FUCKING WALK AWAY!"_

 _He watched with bated breath as she turned to him with expectant, confusion-tinged eyes.  
_

" _Where…the hell do you think…you're going? It's not over yet!"_

" _But it already is. I've already surrendered, it's your win."_

" _DON'T GIVE ME THAT! We still have to settle this!"_

 _He was yelling unreasonably then, but she still showed no signs of giving him what he wanted. Instead her eyes and lips softened, her whole body giving off the same placid aura that he worked to break only for her to restore it in a blink of an eye._

 _"I told you, didn't I? I'm not really in it for the top spot, but I did manage to get this far. It's enough for me."_

 _His eyes widened when she gave him a small bow, her frame bending gracefully before looking back at him with a different kind of smile on her dirty, battle-ridden, but still glowing face._

 _In just that moment, it wasn't the same one she always wore. He could see now that it was one of self-consciousness, of alarm, of wonder and of…tenderness?_

 _"Thank you for the wonderful experience, Bakugou-kun. I'll be rooting for you in your next battle!"_

 _And then she turned and left completely, leaving him stunned as she disappeared into the shadows._

In the end, she turned back into the ambitionless bitch that was contented to stay in the background, and he was utterly pissed at how she caught him off guard twice in less than 2 hours despite being an unresolved eyebrow hag who was worst than Deku. The nerd would've fought him with everything he has until the very end no matter how hopeless his shot at victory might be. Hell, even that small bunny-like girl Uraraka fought him 'til she dropped.

But her? She just gave up. Like it didn't matter a damn thing to her.

Like it didn't matter a damn thing to him.

" _What…the fuck…?"_

 _He finally snapped. His fist that had already become hard from being restrained came down on the ground beneath him, creating a smoking crater._

 _"GET BACK HERE, YOU SHITTY EYEBROW HAG!" He bellowed viciously, yet he knew she was already gone._

 _Just when he thought she was worth his time._

 _Just when he thought he saw the real her behind the charming placid mask…_

But there was plenty of time. For now he'd let her have her way. For now he'd conquer the sports festival.

 _Her submission to defeat no doubt left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth, and he could only hope that his anticipation for the next fight would make him forget. Because for now, he walked away from the stage a victor, however untriumphant, and that's all that matters._

Because she doesn't matter.

For now.

* * *

 _'Cause you caught me off guard_

 _Now I'm running and screaming_

 _._

 _._

 _._


	2. Chapter 1: Crystal Heroine, Start!

**Welcome to the first chapter folks!**

 **I would like to extend my gratitude to the first supporters, those who faved/followed and the lovely reviewers,** **BloodyCamellia** **and** **Rainymayy~!** **=D  
Thank you so much for your encouragements and for being a part of the beginning of Crystal Heroine to Explosive Hero~! I'm so glad you liked the Prelude and decided to continue reading this ^^**

 **CAUTION: Curse words galore, filler-like moments, long paragraphs ahoy and occasional last minute changes. Nevertheless, I hope you can find yourself smiling while reading/following this story. Enjoy!**

 _ **[Disclaimer]: Boku no Hero Academia belongs to Kohei Horikoshi-sensei. I am merely borrowing this awesome work and its amazing characters for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement intended.  
**_

* * *

 **.**

 **PART 1**

 **ARC OF BEGINNINGS**

 **.**

 **〖** **Chapter One** **〗**

 **Crystal Heroine, Start!**

 **.**

 _It still kills me_

 _that I can't change things_

 _But I'm still dreaming_

 _I'll re-write the ending_

(Say Good-bye – Krewella)

* * *

' _Remember…'_

 **Breathe in.**

 _Darkness. Terror. Tears._

" _S-Stop…"_

 _Blood. A cry for help._

" _O-onee-ch-…an…"_

 _Death._

" _N-no…Haru…HARUKIIIII!"_

 _Despair._

" _Why…why did you do it…? WHY?"_

" _Why?"_

 _A sinister laugh._

" _Because I'm a villain."_

"Koseki-chan?"

She blinked, and everything was bright and colorful again.

It took her a few seconds to comprehend that she was still standing in front of the large gates of the battle center, along with everyone else for their entrance exam. The noise, the crowd…Everything felt foreign to her, and yet it brought about a sense of relief. She closed her eyes as she willed the lingering pain to disappear, sighing slowly as she attempted to regain her usual composure.

That's right. She was currently in U.A, she was going to become a hero. She wasn't in the dark anymore, the villain wasn't there, and Haruki…

A warm touch to her shoulder brought her back to reality.

" _Ko-se-ki_ Alumi-chan?"

Being called her full name felt strange for some reason, but it was enough to rouse her out of her thoughts, to which she was thankful for. Wondering who it was, Alumi turned to her right where the voice came from, and her eyes immediately fell on the very concerned looking Uraraka Ochako, her co-examinee who she happened to befriend in the bus on their way to Ground Beta. Their meeting basically went like this:

 _"Uwaaah! It's HanamichiCon's limited edition Hanami Dango hairpin!" Exclaimed the girl sitting beside Alumi. She was adorable, with light brown hair styled into a bob cut, rosy cheeks and round brown eyes that twinkled with admiration. "I've always wanted one of those," the girl continued. "U-Umm! Are you a fan of HanamichiCon too?"_

 _"Un. Hanamichi Confectionery's sweets are the best, in my opinion. But it was my friend who gave this to me as a present," Alumi said as she ran a finger over the gleaming Dango-themed hairpin. She smiled, "It's amazing that you recognized it. You're a big fan of theirs too, aren't you?"_

 _"I am! Mochi's my favorite in the whole wide world. And HanamichiCon's mochis are the best!"_

 _Alumi nodded. "I heard they have a branch near U.A. That's another thing to work hard for in the entrance exam, wouldn't you agree?"_

 _"Oh my gosh, really? Now I'll definitely work even harder!" She beamed. "Ah! I totally forgot to introduce myself! My name's Uraraka Ochako. Nice to meet you!"_

And thus, the present.

Alumi regarded the other girl with her signature smile, but if Ochako were to look closely, it showed how weary the blue haired girl actually was.

"Are you okay? You were spacing out," Ochako said.

She masked her discomfort at being caught with an apologetic smile. "Did I? I'm sorry for worrying you, Urara-chan. I'm okay now. Thank you."

Convinced, Ochako smiled in relief, but then she turned flustered all of a sudden. It was Alumi's turn to be concerned.

"Is something the matter?" Ochako was really red. _'She couldn't have contracted a fever right before the entrance exam, could she?'_ Alumi thought.

"E-eh? Um, yes! I-it's just…Well, Urara…I-I like the sound of that! Please continue to call me that!" Ochako sputtered out with a quick bow before looking up to her with shining eyes. "But in return, c-can I call you 'Alumi-chan'!?"

Her adorable uncertainty made Alumi laugh with amusement. "Of course! I'm sure we'll both pass, so let's become good friends, yes?"

Ochako looked so happy that Alumi swore she saw the girl float at least a feet off the ground, before hopping down and emitting rainbows and sunshine all around her. She was so cute that 'Urara-chan' was almost an understatement.

"I'd love to! Let's be friends, Alumi-chan!"

Alumi gave her a nod of approval, feeling her own happiness swell. The name call was but a slip of the tongue, as it was sort of a habit of hers, but the brunette seemed to be more than fine with it.

"We're about to start any moment now huh?" Ochako commented after a while. She looked really eager, but from the way she pressed her clenched fists to her chest showed how anxious she actually was.

Alumi lifted her gaze off her and looked up ahead. To be honest, she also felt the same. She was nervous, but at the same time she was excited. More excited than nervous, actually.

"I think so," Alumi answered before resting her eyes back on Ochako's figure with a soft smile. "Are you nervous?"

"I-I am," the brunette admitted with a self-conscious chuckle. "I'm not really good with battles, and everyone looks so prepared…But once I'm in there, I'm going to give it my all!"

"That's the spirit," Alumi cooed encouragingly. "I'm sure you can do it."

They both shared a smile before facing forward and regaining their focus for the task at hand. Alumi inhaled through her nose as she felt the faint tides of determination wash over her, the soft smile never faltering, not even at the thought of that horrific, fateful night.

That's right. She had to remember to conquer her fear. Remember in order to reach her dream. Remember…

'… _Remember why you're here.'_

 **Breathe out.**

* * *

Alumi didn't know what exactly happened, but when the doors started opening and the people started running, she dashed right in with Ochako and separated herself from the group by turning a swift left. "I'll see you later, Urara-chan!" she bid, not waiting for the brunette's response as she quickly disappeared behind a building.

Now as much as Alumi enjoys Ochako's company, she felt compelled to isolate herself. The battle center was vast, after all. There was no need to hunt with the rest of the group, especially when they're going to be judged individually.

And now…Well, she suddenly found herself surrounded by a horde of mock villains.

"Dear me, they suddenly appeared out of nowhere…" she muttered to herself, more surprised than frightened. _'It seems they're waiting for the others to reach this area…I see now, because we don't know where they are, we are supposed to draw them out. But I didn't do anything to attract them. Maybe they heard the commotion the others caused and just so happened to spot me instead?'_

The robotic villains leaped to attack and Alumi gently lowered a knee to the ground, just so she could touch the asphalt's surface. _'But I suppose this is a good thing.'_

"Kill the hero! Kill the hero!" They yelled in unison that Alumi couldn't help but stare at them with awe for a second.

' _Oooh. They can talk!'_ She had to admit, whoever made them did a good job. They were a fine interpretation of real life villains indeed.

It was then that her smile turned malicious, her eyes narrowing. Mock villains or not…

 _"Villains must be punished."_

For a moment it seemed as if the robotic villains were about to overwhelm her, then crystallized spikes rose from the ground, piercing each of them through the core in the next. All of them were destroyed at once.

Alumi smiled as she stood up, brushing off the dust that accumulated on her shoulders and sweatpants before looking around to assess the destruction she caused. "Hnn…two, four…ten , twelve…14 robots in all, six 2-by-points, three 1-by-point and five 3-by-points…How many points does that make?"

Alumi was still in the process of doing the math that she didn't notice a 3-by-point robot spotting her and making its move. Now this robot was smart. It saw how its comrades were destroyed in a blink of an eye and decided to take a more discreet approach. Slowly it lifted its arm and aimed to launch a rocket fist, its red eyes gleaming with delight at how blissfully unaware its target was with her back turned to it.

"Kill the hero…"

"Ah, I got it!" Alumi suddenly exclaimed that the robot flinched with surprise, its focus disturbed for a second. But that opening was all she needed to conjure a crystallite spike from underneath the robot, lifting the machine a few meters from the ground.

She turned to face her attacker with a calm smile, looking quite satisfied with her handiwork. The machine looked like a giant metal skewer of some sort from the way it was pierced. "Oh, it's a 3-by-point...That makes 33!" She might not have been able to see it, but she definitely heard it. So much for talking robots and their programmed pep talks.

Alumi snapped her fingers and the crystals around the area shattered, its essence returning to the ground as the skewered machines fell down in heaps. She turned and took off in a light jog, continuing her excursion in the area and occasionally hearing the ruckus the others caused. They weren't too far judging from the sounds they were making, and thanks to that she met a couple of villain bots on her way that became attracted to the sound. Alumi disposed of them quickly, her accumulated points gradually rising up to 46.

Numerous trails of smoke became visible in the sky by now and the smell of dust and fried circuits filled the air. Other examinees eventually wandered into the area she was in and while she left them to their own devises as she ran passed them, Alumi became aware of two 2-by-points preparing to ambush an unassuming male applicant. She changed course and dashed towards that person's direction. He was already dealing with two mock villains at the moment that it would've been too late for him to notice.

Alumi stopped abruptly when she was near enough, just as the two leaped to attack, and planted her feet firmly on the ground. The soil beneath rumbled and two crystallite spears erupted from the ground, stabbing the machines and suspending them in midair before they could touch him.

Alumi released a puff of relief just as the male examinee managed to defeat his two opponents. He was definitely aware of the ruckus behind him as he hastily pivoted on his heel in alarm only to be met with a metal fist inches from his face.

"WOAH! WHAT IN THE-!?"

Alumi muffled her giggles with her hand. Nothing was as amusing as seeing a priceless genuine expression. She left the scene before he could see her, not even bothering to disperse her Quirk as it would eventually disappear anyway. It was also so that she could give the confused, staggering examinee a sort of remembrance.

Meanwhile the male examinee finally recovered from his shock and his eyes instantly went to where the crystals came from. He craned his neck to Alumi's direction, but all he could catch of her figure was her long, flowing blue hair.

"A-A girl? Who was that?" He wondered aloud as he scratched at his head. What the heck. He definitely did not expect to be saved today. Even so, he could not deny that it felt rather nice being protected by an angelic stranger.

* * *

From what happened earlier, Alumi decided she'd rather go and help someone with the remaining time they have. She knew she already accumulated enough points to pass, so there was no need to look at everyone as a rival anymore.

' _I wonder how Urara-chan's doing.'_ Naturally, Ochako was the initial person she thought of. Though Alumi knew that the girl can handle herself, she wanted to see how the whole thing was going for her.

Ochako was with the main group, and judging from the noise coming from her right she was heading to the right direction. She continued to run through the buildings and soon saw the main road up ahead, hastening her pace to get out of the narrow alley she was currently in.

However, just when she was about to reach the exit, the ground suddenly started to shake so violently that it could be felt throughout the whole battle center. Alumi immediately pressed her back and hands against a nearby building as she looked around. The buildings nearby began to crumble and the windows were beginning to break, letting her know that whatever caused the earthquake was close.

She cautiously peered over the edge to see what was going on and what she saw made her eyes widen. A huge shadow was looming over them, over the broken robot parts and the frightened examinees. It turns out that it was a giant robot, the mother of all mock villain small-frys. It was the biggest machine that she's ever seen, and frankly, it both amazed and startled her at the same time. She barely had time to recover when the giant robot made its move, bringing its fist up to struck them below.

The building behind her quivered when the giant robot's fist connected with the ground, the impact so great that it raised a tsunami of smoke and debris. While everyone began screaming with fright as they made their escape, Alumi was able to catch some of the words they said as they passed her by.

"RUUUNNN!"

"What is that thing!?"

"Holy shit it's _huge_! Isn't that like the final boss or somethin'!?"

"Idiot that's the obstacle Present Mic was talking about!"

"For real!? AHHHHH!"

Alumi whipped her head back to the giant robot with renewed fascination after hearing that last bit. She didn't know it was going to be THAT big. Now she can see why they were told to either fight or flee. With that size, Alumi knew the logical thing to do was escape. She turned to where everyone else was running off to and steadied herself for a sprint. She was still concerned of Ochako's whereabouts, but she hoped the brunette was safe and was already making a run for it.

Alumi looked back one more time, waiting for the smokescreen to clear. When it did, she caught sight of a certain brown haired girl, pinned to the ground, with both her legs painfully crushed underneath a large chunk of stone.

"U-Urara-chan…!?" Alumi uttered with alarm The giant mock villain was right behind her, and Alumi could only watch with horror as Ochako struggled to free herself.

Alumi froze on the spot. She couldn't just run away, her friend was there, but the giant robot was there too. It wasn't like she couldn't take care of it, just that conjuring a crystalline spike big enough to stab it with would take a huge amount of effort and concentration. And with the way things are now, with its discord and lack of clarity, can she pull it off in time?

The giant mock villain took another step, preparing to make another imprint on the ground with Ochako as the stamp. Alumi gritted her teeth as she decided to throw all caution into the air. Ochako needed help and she needed it now. What kind of a friend would she be if she wouldn't even try? But the real question was, would she make it in time?

Alumi dashed out of the alley with an arm shielding her eyes and mouth from the onslaught of dust. She already formulated a strategy to save them both. All she needed to do was get there in time, conjure a dome of crystal to protect them from its blow, and then escape before it makes its next move. Alumi quickly conjured a crystal platform beneath her to propel herself forward. If she could just get there and—

There was a movement to her right, a surge of power, a howl of the wind.

Alumi paused and turned just in time to see a boy wearing a cyan tracksuit leap from the ground with so much power that it seemed like he could fly, leaving a gust of wind in his wake. Her jaw went slack as she watched him fly straight to the giant mock villain, pulling his arm back and then planting his fist right to where its face was supposed to be, the robot falling back from the impact of his power.

A single punch. All it took to defeat the massive robot of destruction was a single punch.

Alumi couldn't believe what she was seeing. At the same time, she was baffled as to why he would even bother to fight that thing. It was worth zero points and he could've used that time to escape. What could his reason be for doing such a thing?

' _But could it be…?'_ Alumi ripped her eyes away from him at her train of thought and touched the crystal to take her to where Ochako was. ' _He did it because he saw that Urara-chan was in trouble?'_

As she was drawing closer she saw the brunette in the same state as she was: awestruck.

"Urara-chan!" Alumi wasted no time to aid the brown haired girl this time. She hurriedly jumped off her crystallized convey and landed right beside Ochako before conjuring two crystal pillars at once to lift the heavy stone slab off her foot.

"Alumi-chan…" Ochako looked at her with surprise as if she'd just noticed her.

Alumi lowered on her hunches with one knee on the ground. "Can you stand? Your legs aren't injured, are they?"

"It still hurts a little, but I'll be fine," Ochako said with a reassuring smile and tried to stand up but the painful hiss that escaped her said otherwise.

"Let me help." Alumi offered her arms for support and Ochako immediately grabbed unto them. "You really scared me back there, you know," she chided softly just as Ochako steadied herself on her feet.

"Yeah it was really scary," Ochako replied with a sheepish smile. "Everything happened so fast and I was too frightened to use my Quirk but then…" She looked up at the sky above them, her eyes shining with amazement. "That person...Did you see that? He saved me!"

Alumi followed her gaze and saw the boy still suspended in mid-air. "Yes…Yes he did," she said softly.

"ONE MINUTE LEFT!"

Present Mic's abrupt reminder of their time snapped them out of their daze, and when Alumi blinked she saw how the boy was beginning to plummet down towards them in an incredible speed. It seems like she wasn't the only one to notice because Ochako was flailing right beside her.

"Ah! He's falling! We need to help!"

Alumi turned to her friend only to see the brunette limping her way towards a broken piece of fallen mock villain. But before she could ask what exactly she was planning, Ochako made the object float and turned to her with panic.

"Quick, Alumi-chan! Please take me to him!"

Alumi nodded just as she had a firm grasp on the situation and was already lowering a knee. "Hold on!" She pressed her palm against the ground and summoned a sole semi-solid crystallite that hardened into a solid crystalline pillar with a sharp end as it rushed over to where Ochako was floating. The crystal pillar pierced into the dismembered machine and continued to stretch rapidly, effectively pushing the gravity girl straight towards the falling boy. Alumi watched, astonished and impressed as she saw Ochako utilizing her gravity Quirk, and at how she managed to get there in time to save the boy from what could've been a fatal fall, by smacking him in the face.

Ochako hit the ground with a thud and the boy with a grunt. Alumi immediately stood and left her post. She eventually arrived at the scene, just in time to see Ochako emptying her stomach in a flurry of rainbow sparkles after she released her Quirk on the both of them.

Finally. The giant faux villain was annihilated, the three of them were safe, and all was well. Alumi released a heavy sigh of relief, her posture sagging slightly in exhaustion after experiencing everything that just happened.

"Good job, Urara-chan," Alumi said. "You made it just in time."

Ochako merely responded with a weary thumbs-up, not even looking up, and Alumi directed her gaze somewhere else, feeling sorry and slightly amused by Ochako's current condition. Her eyes eventually fell on the boy's writhing figure, and she approached him from behind with a curious gaze when she saw how damaged his arm was. His legs and knees weren't looking good either, as they were twisted in unnatural and painful angles.

Alumi furrowed her eyebrows in thought as she lowered on her hunches to get a better look. _'Why is he in such a damaged state? Is it the result from overusing his Quirk? What a harsh drawback…'_

The boy suddenly lifted his head towards Ochako's direction. He didn't seem to notice her behind him as he had his eyes glued to his now unconscious savior.

Alumi kept silent, simply observing him for the time being. That's when she noticed that his black curly hair actually had green undertones. She felt a smile tug at her lips despite her thoughts and his apparent misery. _'What cute, curly hair.'_

 _Curly hair…_

All of a sudden the black green-tinged color of his hair suddenly seemed a bright orange hue to her. It reminded her of the color she used to touch and run her fingers through, the color she adored, the bright curly colored hair belonging to the person she held so dearly…

Alumi didn't even realize he was raising a hand to touch him.

' _Haruki…?'_

But the boy suddenly began to crawl away from her before her fingers could make contact, effectively snapping her out of her stupor. Alumi immediately pulled her hand back and clutched it tight against her pounding chest, her eyes growing wide.

' _What was I…?'_

"If I could just get one point…"

From the wretched way he said it, Alumi knew no one was supposed to hear that, but she heard him loud and clear. Her gaze turned bewildered as she watched how he dragged himself across the ground using his left arm. Does he mean to say he still hasn't gained any points despite having such a powerful Quirk? She stared at his red, swollen arm and narrowed her eyes. She saw how he defeated that giant mock villain, and yet he suffered severe repercussions like he's never done it before.

"Times up!" Present Mic's announcement was followed by an alarm that signalled the end of the exam. While majority of them felt relieved, some were wracked with dread that it was over. The boy no doubt belonged to the latter group.

Alumi watched him freeze and tremble before collapsing on the ground. She couldn't tell for sure if he fainted from exhaustion and pain, or from the shock that he failed to accumulate any points. Maybe it was a mix of both. Either way, there was a twisting in her heart as she stared at his unconscious figure. He looked so small, so broken…

There it was again. Alumi closed her eyes tightly as she placed a hand to her forehead, smiling wryly at her own silliness. She didn't even get to see his face yet and yet looking at him was enough to invoke _something_ in her. It needed to stop.

Before she knew it those who initially ran away began to walk back to the area and started dishing out comments on what just transpired before their eyes. Alumi ignored most of them as she made her way towards Ochako. She was already ahead of their speculations. It may be unnecessary to put that giant mock villain down, but she knew what really happened. He didn't do it just to show off his Quirk or impress anyone. He did it in order to _protect_ someone, and they completely missed that. But even they could tell that what he did was truly astounding. However, one comment made her turn towards them again, her eyes turning soft as she looked at him.

"What kind of a life did he live that made him so jumpy?"

Alumi didn't know what kind of person he was, or what he did to get this far, but hearing that and realizing that he's lived through hardships, especially if it had something to do with his Quirk...

 _His damaged arm. His broken legs. As if he's hadn't known of its severe effects. As if he's having trouble controlling it. As if he's never had a Quirk before…_

" _Why couldn't you do anything!? You should've protected him! But because you're_ _ **Quirkless**_ _…!"_

Her mother's voice rang in her ears and Alumi felt like something just punched her in the gut. She turned away quickly, a hand flying to soothe her rapidly beating heart.

She slowly glanced his way and pouted. No one's ever had this sort of effect on her before.

She heard a groan and turned to see Ochako slowly lifting her torso up with her elbows. "Urara-chan…You're awake." Alumi greeted with a relieved smile. At least for now she has someone else to be concerned about.

Ochako gave her a groggy smile before her expression morphed into a panicked one. "Uwaah! I can't believe I fainted!"

"It was only for a few minutes though, don't worry," the bluenette assured as she conjured a crystal platform for Ochako to get down on easily.

The brunette carefully stepped on it and Alumi made the crystal go down before offering a hand to help steady her. Once she's standing firmly on the ground, Ochako gave her a smile so bright that it reminded Alumi of the rising sun.

"Thank you so much, Alumi-chan. You've really helped me a lot today. So this is your Quirk, huh? It's really cool!"

"I'd say that it's you who's done a lot today Urara-chan," she replied. "Your Quirk is also very impressive, especially how you went in and save that boy just now."

Ochako chuckled sheepishly with a hand behind her head and a blush tinting her cheeks. "It gets bad if I overdo it though…That reminds me! Where is he?"

Alumi turned and pointed a finger to where the unconscious boy was. Thanks to having U.A's school nurse on the scene, Recovery Girl, his broken limbs were now back to normal. He still didn't show any signs of waking up despite being healed, so the youthful hero had him taken away to the clinic for the mean time.

Alumi watched as they carried him away. Meanwhile the kindly old woman started going around giving them gummy bears and kisses for those who were injured. What an adorable old woman she was. It reminded Alumi of her own grandmother.

"Poor thing…You know, I heard him mumble something about getting at least one point," Ochako said as the two of them watched him in the distance. "Does that mean he doesn't have any points, Alumi-chan?"

Ochako turned to her then and Alumi had to cover up the surprise she felt when she faced her. ' _So Urara-chan heard it, too…'_

"Well…" she started. "If that's the case, then he won't be able to get into U.A." As regretful as that sounds, Alumi knew it was the only logical answer.

"B-But that can't be! He rescued me, you know he did. Everybody else saw how he destroyed that huge mock villain. He did it because of me! That has to count for something!" Ochako countered with a dismayed face.

Alumi was at a loss for words. She could only stare at her friend with astonished eyes, and the longer she did the more she became convinced. Ochako was right, what he did could be counted as a heroic act and she began to be overwhelmed with shame.

How could she forget? Being a hero just wasn't about fighting bad guys, or defeating strong opponents. A hero was someone who protects and saves the day. That was the sole reason she decided to be a hero in the first place. To protect those in need, to uphold the peace, to prevent a tragic loss…

Alumi placed a hand to Ochako's shoulder as she smiled at her with all the reassurance she could muster. "You're right, Urara-chan. I get the feeling that this exam is not just about getting points by how many faux villains you've defeated, and if they saw that, then we'll definitely see him again."

Ochako seemed to calm down after hearing her statement, but Alumi can still see the lingering doubt in her eyes. She couldn't blame her. It sounded like a dream come true even to her own ears, but she believed in it anyway.

And if it does happen, then she was looking forward to seeing him again.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Thank you so much for reading chapter 1! But before you go, I have a "few" things I want to say that are absolutely imperative concerning this story. It's going to be a long A/N, but if you want to follow this story, then you should know these things.**

 **That good with you? Great? Let's begin! *rubs hands together***

 **So, firstly, I just want to say that I feel rather pretentious writing an OC-centric story where Katsuki will be eventually shipped. He is a very unique character that is going to be hard to work with (I admit), but despite the hurdles I am still determined to go through with this.**

 **Why? Well, hear me out:**

 **The first time I saw Katsuki, I was instantly charmed (let's admit it, he's good looking in a homicidal way and I have a thing for bad, angry boys lol), but more than that, his character fascinates me. He is honest with what he wants and who he is, he doesn't tolerate bullshit, can easily see through said bullshit, is not afraid of accepting his mistakes and identifying weaknesses in himself (nevermind that he never admits to them verbally), and once he has his eyes set on something, you can bet your ass he'll work hard to get it. I just knew he was going to be the deuteragonist type with lots of room for improvement, and that's where I saw that he is not completely heartless, and is therefore not asexual.**

 **Although Katsuki never really showed interests in girls, (given that his priorities are set on becoming number 1), I bet all of us can understand that one of the reasons why he isn't fussing so much on crushes and girls is because girls naturally avoid him (after all, who would like to be around an egotistical, foul, and scary asshole, right?) But anyway, I think it's not hard for him to actually like a girl, a girl who is patient and willing to put with his behaviour (and what a long, treacherous journey it will be). It's certainly going to be fun developing Katsuki's character further in that aspect, and it certainly wouldn't be too hard to do after seeing Horikoshi-sensei's efforts in developing his character in the series.**

 **So I guess what I'm saying is that this fanfic is a dedication for my babyboy, our adorable baron of explode-o-kills.**

 **As for my OC, Alumi, she is naturally tolerant to things that might shock the common folk. As what you've seen lately, she is calm and level-headed in the face of adversity, and I think she'll do well when it comes to Katsuki. But of course, Katsuki is not the only one who gets to be soothed in this story, as it will definitely take someone like him to peel off Alumi's layers of defenses (okay, I'm spoiling now.)**

 **And there you have it, my reasons for shipping/fangirling. I can't promise that this will be awesome, or OOC-ness free, but if you do enjoy this, don't keep it to yourself, pretty please? A review won't cost ya, but if you're one of the silent types then a fave/follow will do me juuuust fine.**

 **Also, I admit that I'm still an amateur writer as I'm** _ **still**_ **on the process of finding that rhythm. My grammar also needs some brushing up, but I'll do my best to get better, promise. Also, I'm going to count on you guys to point out some stuff that needs critical attention. So don't be shy and tell me what you think!**

 **BUT I'M NOT DONE YET!**

 **Now about the story itself, this is how it's gonna go down:**

 **The first part of this story will focus on Alumi, her inner battles, her facades and development in U.A. However, I will not reveal her past yet, or the specifics of her Quirk until I can find a good point. That said, the main pairing Katsuki and Alumi will be non-canon at the beginning. No fluff, and very little interaction between the two. But as it is already implied in the Prelude, things** _ **will**_ **begin to escalate between them during and after the Sports Festival Arc. But even so, romance is somewhat Slow-Burn. And lastly, this story will follow most scenes from the Anime, and a little from the Manga.**

 **All right! I am officially done ranting now. You may or may not proceed to read this story and follow Alumi's adventure. Hopefully you enjoyed!**

 **[Edited]: Added minor changes, removed unnecessary sentences and fixed grammatical errors.**


	3. Chapter 2: A New Dawn

**A shoutout to** **Nekoguest** **and** **Diamond-Grl45** **~! Your words really fuelled my inspiration =)**

 **Also a BIG thank you to you who faved/followed =)**

* * *

 **.**

 **〖** **Chapter Two** **〗**

 **A New Dawn**

* * *

Inside the dimly lit surveillance room in U.A, the school's board of directors, judges, teachers and staff, were currently in the process of reviewing each examinee's performances after the cumulative results of the entrance exam. The cream of the crop has been chosen, and now they shall be divided to determine which of them will comprise this year's highly anticipated Hero class: Class 1-A.

The current footage that played on the central screen was a close-up of a certain ash-blond boy. He stood on top of a disembodied robot, his fists alight with smoke and his mouth curled into a fiendish grin as he looked all around him.

"Now about this year's top examinee no. 2233…I think it's quite clear where he will reside in."

"Bakugou Katsuki, huh? What a terrifying young man."

"Yes, but with his natural talent on the field along with his remarkable Quirk, there is no doubt that he is befitting of being in this class."

The board nodded their agreement. It was an unanimous vote. In another screen beside the one in the center, three huge columns were featured with the first one having the label of 'Top Passers', the second bearing the label 'Class 1-A' and the last one being 'Class 1-B'. A representative of the board who operated the computer and controlled the contents of the screen, received the card with the student's name and promptly maneuvered the mouse over the names of the passers, found the indicated name in the card and dragged that name unto the column that was labeled 1-A.

"Next applicant?"

"How about this rank no. 4?"

At his proposal the video shifted into a close-up of the blue haired girl running, summoning crystals, and defeating mock villains with a small smile on her face.

"Koseki Alumi, was it?"

"Ooh, she's quite easy on the eyes. She reminds me of Azayaka Reika before her Silver Queen days. I mean, look, they even have the same color of eyes **–** **–** woah, wait a minute..."

"Yeah, but I'm getting more of the Sakagi Yorina vibes on this one."

"I thought you said that was the one with the blonde hair?"

"Well, we sure have a handful of beauties this year, that's for sure. Since when was the last time that happened?"

"Since _moi_."

No on chose to address Midnight's statement.

"So, about Miss Koseki's performance, she's scored an astounding 50 points on Villains and 20 points on Rescue. From this footage, we can see that she was the first to separate herself from the group, followed by the execution of her Quirk and then coming to the aid of her co-examinees."

"From the other video, it seems that her quirk is highly flexible, seeing as how she used it as a means for transportation."

"She has good control over her Quirk and is obviously adept at utilizing it, that's for sure. But enough about her Quirk. She was able to keep a level head despite being surrounded by multiple enemies. She was also able to determine the mock villain's nature and took advantage of the battle center's vastness."

"Yes, we added that as an addition to her overall performance as well."

"Well then, I think she belongs in this class."

"But there are already many talented aspirants in 1-A. Perhaps she's more suited in 1-B, to establish an equilibrium on power and skill in both classes."

"If that's your concern, the four recommended students were already divided equally between 1-A and 1-B. If you can recall, two of them were foreign students, both of which are already in 1-B, and one of them is the child of a prominent hero in Portugal."

"You mean the one with _that_ Quirk?"

"Ah…Yes, I remember. But 1-A also has Endeavour's kid, you know."

"Now that you put it that way..."

"No. We must place her in 1-A, the class which has Aizawa as the homeroom teacher, and All Might as the instructor for their Hero Basic Training."

"But Nedzu-san…"

"Let us not forget that these children are the top of the fold. They have succeeded in the entrance exam, each one of them worthy to uphold U.A Academy's honor as a Hero Aspirant of this school. While some are far ahead in the race, that does not mean the others have no chance of catching up. This division of 1-A and 1-B is not meant to be a competition to see which class is superior, as they all have the potential to be splendid heroes!"

"Well said, principal!"

"I think I just shed a tear or two."

"Yeah, yeah we get it. Although I can still feel a strong sense of favouritism extending towards 1-A…"

"You're the only one who thinks that, Vlad."

"Now then, I believe we have reached a decision? Good. It's decided. Koseki Alumi will be a part of Class 1-A."

* * *

 **One Week Later**

It was still dark outside, but the heavens above already showed signs of the sunrise. Alumi runs under this dark aurora sky with its intermingling streaks of pink and orange hues, her breathing appearing in small clouds of mist as she ran in a steady pace. The cold early morning air is brisk against her skin and she always loses herself in this feeling. It was the closest she's ever felt to flying when in the state of sound mind.

In short, Alumi loved jump-starting her day with a morning jog. But more than that, it served as an effective distraction.

Seven days had already passed after the day she took the entrance exam. It was now the month of March, and the traces of ice that the winter days had brought had thawed out completely, the cold season receding in preparation for spring.

Alumi can't quite remember how her days went after that, but she certainly remembered the dreams she had at night. The nightmares weren't coming as frequently as they used to before, but after that day, it all came back to haunt her.

She closed her eyes tightly and ran as fast as her feet could carry her. How far would she run this time? How long would it take for her to break free from the horrors that come to her at night? She had been through this already. She was convinced that her nightmares had lost their power over her.

Years of dealing with the same problem over and over again in the past has taught her how to cope with them, but that didn't make them disappear completely. They had always been there and she tried drastically to keep them out of her consciousness. Her teacher always told her that she should be the one to rule over them, not the other way around. After all, she was supposed to be strong now and the strong are not weakened by immaterial things such as nightmares. She was definitely much stronger and much capable than the powerless little girl she used to be.

She decided, as she began to slow down and finally come to a stop, that the reason why they returned to torment her after a long period of inability wasn't because she was still weak, but because she finally took the first step towards her goal. Completing the entrance exam was what triggered her buried fears to rear its ugly head once again. But this time, Alumi knew, she would not falter.

The morning air grew warmer as the sun made its appearance, and light began to pour over the ground, painting the world around her in warm colors. A smile crept up Alumi's face as she relished at the gentle breeze that caressed her face. She always loved the sunrise, it reminded her of hope in a new beginning.

"I suppose this is enough for today." She hummed in satisfaction before turning on her heel and began the short journey towards her home.

Upon reaching their block, Alumi spotted the mailman depositing a couple of letters into their mailbox. She approached him casually with a smile on her face.

"My, you're quite early today mailman-san."

The mailman, upon noticing her, immediately turned to face her. He gave a brief bow and said, "Good morning. I am here to deliver letters for the Koseki family. Are you a member of this household miss?"

"Yes. Thank you very much for delivering them. I will be taking the letters now."

He took the letters out and handed them to her. They exchanged courteous bows before the mailman finally zoomed away on his scooter. Alumi also departed from the mailbox and opened the white tinted gate to their house, closing it securely and going up the stairs of their front porch.

"I'm back~," she sang before locking the door.

As usual, it was the silence that greeted her upon entering their house. Since both her parents are very passionate workaholics, Alumi was always by herself most of the time. Their careers of choice always demanded them to leave their homes more often than not. Not that Alumi really minds. Because just like how she's dealt with her nightmares, she's learned how to cope with her loneliness, too.

Alumi placed the letters on the kitchen counter before scurrying upstairs for a much needed bath. When she returned there was a pink fluffy towel wrapped around her shoulders, her hair is wet, the exercising garb she wore was now replaced with a simple cream blouse and a pair of orange shorts, and she smelt much lovelier (which was the best part).

She sat down on one of the high chairs after making herself a cup of hot vanilla oatmeal. "Now then, let's check if the results are here." Alumi directed her eyes on the letters and began shuffling through them. "Hnn…The electric bill, a letter for Okaa-sama, a letter for Otou-san, another letter for Okaa-sama, a letter from a teen magazine company, a let **–** " She paused. _'A letter from a teen magazine company?'_

Alumi narrowed her eyes as she read the label. It was sent for her mother, but she knew she was involved. She opened the letter with a second of hesitation and read its content with a blank expression. Her lips pursed together into a straight line as she continued to read. It eventually reached the point where she doesn't want to read anymore because Alumi crumpled the letter and pushed it aside. She released a soft sigh, shook her head, and picked up where she left off with the remaining letters.

"Where was I…? Ah, right. A letter from Otou-san's company, and…" Alumi's eyes widened with delight when she saw what she was looking for. "And last but not the least!"

U.A's letter was sealed with the school's official seal molten in red wax. Alumi was so overwhelmed with a mix of joy and anxiety that she felt the need to prepare herself by taking a huge gulp of vanilla oatmeal. She daintily wiped her mouth with her towel and attempted to open the letter as calmly as possible.

This is it…The exam's results from her school of choice. Of all the hero schools in Japan, Alumi chose U.A not only for its standing as the top hero school in the world, but also because this was the school in which her saviour, the hero that saved her on _that day_ once studied. With this, she will either fulfill her promise or forever be doomed with the bitter despair of loss for the rest of her life.

Alumi peered inside the envelope and was surprised to see another object with the letter. _'I wonder what this is…'_ She tilted her head in confusion as she took the oval shaped device out and placed it on the counter. That's when the device suddenly glowed and buzzed into life, a hologramized screen popping out into her face and nearly startling the girl out of her chair.

" _Congratulations, Koseki Alumi! You have passed the entrance exam!"_

* * *

Her phone rang and Alumi momentarily detached herself from the loop of cooking lunch. She lowered the stove's heat and wiped her hands on the apron around her waist before grabbing the ringing machine from the counter.

Alumi's eyes lit up instantaneously when she read the caller ID, sliding her finger over the answer button right away.

"Otou-san! Good afternoon."

"Well you seem energetic. Good afternoon to you as well, Alumi. How are you? Have you been sleeping well? I hope you're not skipping meals."

"Yes, everything is fine. In fact, I am now making lunch. Which reminds me, when are you coming home? Perhaps you've called so that I can make an extra portion of food for you?"

Her father laughed from the other line, the sound making her smile. "You are as sly as ever, Alu. I might just take you up on the offer. Ah, but I'm not talking about lunch, though. Things are finishing up nicely around here that I just might make it home tomorrow in the afternoon."

"Really? That's wonderful! I look forward to dinner then."

"Make it a good for three, okay? I contacted your mother earlier and it seems that she'll make it tomorrow as well."

"So both of you will be here tomorrow..." Alumi fell silent for a moment.

"Alumi? Is something the matter?"

"Oh, I'm just happy that I've received two wonderful news in one day," she chimed.

"Two? What's the other one then?"

"Hnn…I think I'll tell you about it once you're home, Otou-san."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, because I want to tell you in person, both to you and Okaa-sama. Now I don't want to keep you from work any longer, and please don't forget to eat your meals on time."

He chuckled. "All right, I got it. I'll see you tomorrow, Alu."

"Un. Take care, Otou-san."

She ended the call and smiled softly. "Tomorrow it is..."

Alumi was about to put the phone down when she remembered who else needed to know her admission to U.A. Dialling a certain number, Alumi pressed the phone to her ear and waited. The person on the other line picked it up almost immediately.

"Hello, it's me," Alumi greeted before chuckling sheepishly. "Yes, yes, I know. I'll come visit this weekend and tell you all about it in person. But first, is Sensei there? I have some important news…"

* * *

It was a Saturday. Alumi began her day with the usual morning jog and flexibility exercises, and spent majority of the morning grocery shopping and preparing for their much anticipated family dinner get-together.

True to his father's words, her parents arrived late in the afternoon. For Alumi, a shared meal with her parents was more of a phenomenon than a common occurrence. Still, nothing much changed. It was as tranquil and uneventful the last time she remembered, with her mother and father exchanging details about their respective occupations, and her partaking in their conversations only when asked.

It was going smoothly, until her father suddenly turned to her.

"So, Alumi, what's this other good news you wanted to tell me and your mother?"

Alumi hoped they didn't see the slip of unease in her eyes, or how her grip on the fork tightened when they fixed their expectant gazes on her. She wasn't used receiving such intent attention from them, but that didn't mean Alumi wasn't prepared. She's been waiting all day for this.

"Otou-san, Okaa-sama…" She started while keeping the excitement from leaking into her voice. "I've been accepted into U.A. I ranked fourth in the entrance exams."

Alumi watched her parent's reactions carefully. They both straightened in their seats and shared the same look of surprise. But while her father seemed thrilled, her mother, on the other hand, looked betrayed.

"This is great news!" Her father exclaimed ecstatically before turning to his wife. "Do you hear that, dear? Our Alumi ranked fourth in Japan's number one hero school. She's going to become a Hero!"

"Yes…I heard her clearly." Then her mother's expression turned blank, her lovely bluish-purple eyes containing an unsettling gleam of disapproval. "Alumi. You applied to U.A without our permission."

It was an accusation, and her heart thumped in apprehension. Thankfully her father immediately went to her aid.

"No, dear. Alumi had my permission. I was the one who signed the papers," he said calmly, but it did little to appease the auburn haired woman.

Her mother's eyes narrowed in anger and she shot her husband a glare. Her father retained his calm composure, but Alumi could see a shadow of guilt behind his brown eyes.

The tension was thick, and Alumi almost winced when it was her mother's words that sliced through the silence.

"And here I thought I made it clear that I don't want you to pursue being a Hero…" She sighed dramatically. "You disappoint me, Alumi."

She saw her father attempt to chastise his wife, but shook his head instead, not saying anything. Alumi preferred it that way, actually. The last thing she wanted was for her parents to fight because of her.

Unable to look at her mother in the eyes, Alumi lowered her gaze to hide her frustration and pressed her lips together. She never wanted her mother to feel such sorrow and disappointment, but this was her dream. How could she not understand that? They have had this conversation before and it all ended the same – with her mother shooting her down and growing colder, and Alumi feeling utterly miserable.

But Alumi would not give in to these feelings. Not anymore. She was now one step closer to achieving her dreams, and no one – not even her mother – would stop her from doing just that.

So Alumi remained silent, afraid to say anything that would possibly result into another argument. No words could convince her mother, and for what it's worth, one could only guess which parent Alumi inherited her stubborn trait from.

"I will not ask you to withdraw from the school since they've already accepted you. U.A _is_ one of the top schools in the country, after all. It would be a shame." She heard her suddenly say, and Alumi looked up with hopeful eyes.

"But know this, Alumi." Her mother's voice turned stern once again, her eyes as hard as steel. "I will _never,_ approve of you becoming a Hero."

The silence that followed was deafening.

 _Of course_. How could she even begin to think that her adamant mother would suddenly turn over a new leaf? Such a feat would be miraculous.

Alumi already _knew_ that, but the words stung deeper than she expected it would. Apparently, just because she's gotten used to it, doesn't make it hurt any less.

"I'm going up ahead," her mother announced as she rose from her seat, giving the blue haired man beside her a cursory glance as she did. "Don't stay up too late, Alu. It's bad for your skin."

Alumi almost flinched under her mother's gaze. "Y-yes. Good night, Okaa-sama…"

Her father's eyes followed her mother's leaving figure, and Alumi lowered her head in contrition, once again left to feel miserable in the dust.

* * *

After finishing kitchen duty that night, Alumi went up to the second floor for bed. As she made her way to her room, however, she saw that the door to her parents' bedroom wasn't closed all the way. And from the small gap she could hear their muffled voices flitting from the inside.

She paused by the door, then shook her head, and was about to leave when she heard her mother's voice increasing in volume.

"…I just can't believe that she would disobey me to this extent."

' _Ah…They're talking about me.'_ It didn't surprise her one bit. She knew her mother was restraining herself earlier at the dining table. It was only around her father that her mother could truly be herself.

Alumi knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but something compelled her to stay. She strode towards the door as silently as she could and pressed her back against the wall beside it.

She heard her father's voice next. It was much quieter than her mother's but Alumi heard him clearly. "Now honey, Alumi isn't in some kind of rebellious stage. It's just that she's growing up. She's bound to want to do things for herself."

Her mother huffed. "I've left her to her own devises up to this point because I saw how much effort she's been putting on taking care of herself. It made me happy…I thought that, with her looks and talent, she would surely reach greater heights if she becomes a model, or perhaps even an actress. She has lots of potential, and I'm not saying that just because she's my child."

"Yes, but you know how much she dislikes that…" He says tentatively, earning another huff from his wife. "Alumi may not say it, but she's not exactly keen on popularity."

"And that's what makes me angry! I just don't understand what she's thinking! She's going to garner attention to herself either way, but she is obviously much better suited in show business than being a Hero. Actually, anything is _fine_ as long as it's got nothing to do with being a Hero! Over and over I told her so many times to consider her future properly. She led me to believe she'd grow out of her childhood obsession with heroism, but then she suddenly goes and applies to U.A, with you two **– especially _you,_ Hiro!** **–** not telling me _anything_!" She half-screeched, making Alumi wince.

Her father was silent for a moment, as if he was contemplating what to say next. "Yes, and I'm terribly sorry for keeping it from you. But...Reika…What is it that you're truly afraid of? Is it for Alumi's sake, are you afraid of what may happen to her? Or is it the fact that she's slowly going further away from us?"

Alumi's eyes widened. It hadn't occurred to her that her parents would think so deeply about her wellbeing. The discovery brought upon a bittersweet feeling, and she brought both her hands to her chest and clutched them together, her heart pounding anxiously as she waited for her mother's reply.

The silence stretched, and it was her father who filled the void.

"I know it's hard. Even I'm worried that she's chosen such a dangerous occupation, but this is Alumi's _dream_. She's been working hard for this! It's not just an obsession anymore."

Her father's voice was gentle but firm, and Alumi was filled with an overwhelming happiness that her father somehow understood her feelings.

"I know that, Hiromu! I trust in Alumi's abilities. She has become strong without me even noticing it, but it's just…" Her mother's voice cracked with emotion.

Alumi stifled her gasp with a hand. Was her mother _crying_?

"I-It's just that, I can't help but notice…that after Haruki died, s-she's changed so much! She did all these things on her own, and I-…I don't even know _how_ it happened! I feel like I…I haven't done _anything_ for her. I know I said s-some terrible things, but I just wanted to _protect her_ , but now…It's too late! _I-I'm_ too late!"

"Dear…" Her father went to comfort her, and Alumi presumed her mother is probably wrapped in her father's embrace right now, surrounded by his security and warmth.

"It's hard even for me, but let's have confidence in her. Alumi is strong. She is even stronger than us. Because after all that's happened, she is facing her fears head on. Alumi may not have told us, but I know that the reason why she wants to be a Hero so badly...is for _his_ sake."

A feeling of sadness pressed down on her until Alumi could hardly breathe from the weight of emotion. She felt her own tears coming as she listened to her mother's quiet sobs. She eventually walked away, with her eyes closed tightly and her heart heavy with guilt for eavesdropping on her parent's conversation. Still one thing remained the same, and that was the determination to achieve her dreams.

' _I'm sorry, Okaa-sama. But Otou-san is right. I'm doing this for Haruki's sake. I'm not going to run away from my nightmares anymore.'_

She may not see it now, but someday, Alumi would make sure that she would make her mother proud.

* * *

Two days had already passed when Alumi woke up with a start in the middle of the night.

She felt out of breath that she was panting, her heart was racing so fast she could feel it throbbing in her ears, deafening her.

Another nightmare.

It was just like the usual – horrible and sick. However, what terrified her this time was that it wasn't Haruki who showed up being killed. This time, it was a boy with black green-tinged curly hair, his legs broken and right arm heavily damaged.

It was the boy she met in the entrance exam. He had certainly piqued her curiosity from the moment she laid her eyes on him. And now, seeing him in her brother's place with blood dripping from his mouth…

Alumi shut her eyes and swallowed.

When she finally decided to open her eyes, the dim light purple hue of her nightlight greeted her vision, painting the room in an almost ethereal and warm glow. Seeing the light helped to calm Alumi's nerves, the ringing in her ears retreating to the back of her skull.

Just when she began to relax, Alumi panicked, hoping she didn't scream in her sleep. Her parents were asleep right down the hall, and she would rather spend her days in isolation than disturb their much needed rest. More than that, she didn't want them to think that she was incapable of handling her fears. She was already sixteen years old and a Hero Aspirant. The days where her father used to run to her side every time she woke up screaming and crying were long gone. The days where she used to visit a psychotherapist were over.

Alumi shifted her eyes to her beside alarm clock. Twelve twenty-four AM.

She turned and snuggled deeper into the warmth of her bed, willing herself to go back to sleep.

* * *

April first arrived in a blink of an eye.

As usual, Alumi woke up at five am, performed her daily flexibility exercises, made breakfast, and prepared herself for school. This Monday was like any other, but it was also the start of something new.

As she was putting her black wedged Mary Jane shoes on, her father had descended the stairs. Hiromu Koseki silently watched his daughter's back with a mixture of fond pride and sadness crossing his features. He had resigned himself to support her in any way he can, but the feeling that his beloved and only remaining child was slowly drifting away from them and gradually changing into an amazing but nearly unrecognizable person hurt him more than he wanted to admit.

' _But this is a good thing. Alumi is finally spreading her wings, and what kind of a parent would I be if I do not encourage her in her flight.'_

"The uniform suits you well. It's a shame that your mother missed you on your first day," he commented, making Alumi turn with an easy smile on her face.

"Good morning, Otou-san. You think so? It's really too bad, I suppose…"

Reika wasn't able to go home for almost three weeks now. She was as busy as her husband, but even Hiromu had his day offs.

"It can't be helped. The new project they're producing is set to air this April, after all." He sighed, sharing her sentiments, before giving her a gentle entreating look. "Now Alumi, I hope you're not upset with your mother because of what she said that night..."

Alumi shook her head, still smiling. "No, I'm not mad at all. I understand Okaa-sama's concerns. I know she's only thinking the best for me, but…This is something that I have to do, and you understand that, don't you Otou-san?"

"Of course." He smiled with consoling eyes. "Your mother may say otherwise, but I'm sure that she's just as glad as I am that you've reached this point."

' _I doubt that."_ Alumi initially thought. But then she remembered her mother's words that night, and Alumi hoped that really was the case. Suddenly her smile felt painful and she turned away before Hiromu could see the mixed feelings in her eyes.

"Well then, I best be on my way now, Otou-san. Breakfast is on the counter, please have a nice day."

She was about to open the door when her father's voice called out to her once more. "Wait, Alumi."

"Yes?"

When she turned to look at him one last time, Alumi was greeted with the words 'Congratulations, Alu. I Am Proud Of You. Go Get 'Em.', on top of her father's palm which he projected from his eyes. Alumi stared with wide and fascinated eyes. Her father usually doesn't use his Quirk outside of work, but right now he was cheering her on with it.

At that moment Alumi felt the luckiest in the world for having such a wonderful father. She smiled at him with all the thankfulness she could muster, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

"Thank you, Otou-san…" she said as she dropped her head into a bow, the gratitude she felt radiating throughout her entire being.

That day, Alumi left with the confidence that everything will be all right. Because the sun was still shining, her father was there, and the journey has just begun.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **We finally get to meet Alumi's parents and even had a glimpse of her past! =D It's full of some pretty heavy stuff, I know. Alumi used to have a bad case of PTSD (and still has traces of it that's for sure), but she surely knows how to handle it. That's because there were some** _ **certain people**_ **that helped her, and it's not just her parents. OCS will definitely pop out in the near future, so look forward to that! =D**

 **But anyway, I'm sorry for the absence of the canon-timeline and characters ;_; but be of good cheer because we're heading there~!**

 **So, here I have a few things I want to be clear about (let's call this the tidbit section):**

※ **Alumi's name is derived from the word "Aluminum", which is the primary source of** _ **Corundum**_ **– a very hard mineral occurring in the ground, the crystallite mineral that Alumi usually uses (more of her Quirk will be mentioned in later chapters). Her name is also my homage to** _ **Alumi Niumbirch,**_ **the heroine of Hiroyuki Takei's** _ **Shaman King Flowers**_ **, whose name was also derived from the Aluminum element. Although if we're going be all japanese-y, 'Alu' (pronounced as 'Aru' in japanese), comes from a combination of kanji (** **琉る** **\- ryuu, ru) which means "gem, or precious stone", and (** **美** **\- Mi) meaning beautiful. Aru also means "to exist", so Alumi's name can be depicted as "existing beauty". As for her family name, "Koseki** _ **"**_ **means "Ore/Mineral" in Japanese.**

※ **If Alumi were to have a voice actress, it would definitely be the voice of Chisaki Hiradaira from Nagi no Asukara, portrayed by Ai Kayano-san.**

※ **I am fully aware that it was Shiozaki Ibara who ranked 4th during the entrance exam, but for the sake of this fanfic, overlook it please? I will also warn you ahead that I'll be running over some canon-characters because of this story. In fact, I just might erase Kouda Kouji-kun's existence while I'm at it ._.**

※ **Alumi's father's Quirk is called 'Holo-Vision'. He can materialize his thoughts, words and project images into a hologram-like structure through his eyes. He can also crystallize the object shown but the effect has a limited time and so the crystallized image will eventually vanish. He is very adept at using it in his work. Incidentally, his name comes from the kanji (** **寛** **\- Hiro) meaning "tolerant, generous", and (** **夢** **\- Mu) meaning "dream, vision".**

 **So there you have it, I hope you enjoyed the second chapter. See you on the next! :)**

 **[Edited]: Changed the name for Alumi's mother to 'Reika' since that bears more semblance to her Quirk, cleaned up some grammatical errors, edited/re-wrote some scenes and added some minor changes.**


	4. Chapter 3: First Days, First Meetings

**.**

 **〖 Chapter Three 〗**

 **First Days, First Meetings**

* * *

Bakugou Katsuki is delighted with the attention he received as he walked into his new classroom.

Everyone laid their eyes on him, and he could see traces of astonishment in their wary gaze. They must have recognized him by now, he thought with a swell of pride. After all, he was none other than the top qualifier who ranked number one in both the academic and practical categories of U.A's recent entrance exam.

He released a contented little huff and swaggered over to his designated desk with a smirk, all the while basking in the spotlight they directed at him. _'That's right. I'm in a league that's higher than all of you extras. Ya'll made a mistake when you picked to be born in the same generation as me.'_

Minutes passed, and other students began to show up one by one until there were only four unoccupied chairs left. Even so, despite the number of students in the room the silence and tension in the air remained.

Katsuki lounges in his chair with a leg resting on the desk. He relished in this atmosphere. In his opinion, everyone did an excellent job for being aware that this is U.A's Hero course, for minding their goddamn businesses, and for refraining from making friends or any sort of shenanigans on the first day (not to mention that no one dared to ask him about the incident with that sludge villain months ago). After all, they were all rivals running the same race, and while everyone who made it this far earned the right of passage to become a Top Hero, Katsuki was going to show the lot of them how far ahead he already is.

The old days are long gone. This was a new era of winning, of vying and competing for the top ranks. There were no rooms for doubt here. From here on out it's either reach for the best or drop dead. Their days of normalcy were over.

And that is why, when she came in emitting an aura of warmth with that little smile of hers, the room's atmosphere changed drastically.

Upon seeing the people before her, the girl with ice blue hair, deep violet eyes and thick eyebrows paused by the door and regarded them all with an amiable smile. She surprised them further when she spoke, her voice clear and smooth and feminine, her words cutting into the silence like a heated knife to frozen butter.

"Good morning. My name is Koseki Alumi, and I will be studying in this class from now on. I look forward to get along with you all." She ended her introduction with a corollary bow and flashed them the kind of tight-lipped and closed-eyed smile that made the ash-blond cringe.

Katsuki is offended. He stares at her dumbly, the whole room stunned. The silence was still there, but the quality has changed into one of wonder. What the hell just happened to that perfectly inauspicious pressure that hung inside the room just now?

And as if she just hadn't done something intensely offensive, the blue-haired girl turns away from them and gracefully walks across the room. Katsuki narrowed his eyes and gnashed his teeth when he saw how everyone fixed their eyes on her much like how they did when he first entered the room.

That's when he decided that this thick-browed bitch needed to go. Who the hell does she think she is? Didn't she know just what exactly she's getting herself into? This was U.A High for crying out loud, and she was acting like they were here to enjoy a fun high school life, become good friends, and sing fucking kumbaya until graduation! The only high school life he had in mind is where he's going to make his mark as the number one Hero. He does not intend to get involved in anything else.

And so Katsuki is lost in his own world, revelling in thoughts of victory and of the start of his journey to being the greatest hero there is and will ever be, when the scent of apples suddenly invades his nose.

He looks up looking like he's smelt something unpleasant, and is greeted with the girl's figure standing by the desk in front of him. He groans internally and thought, _'Of all the fuckin' luck…'_ Suddenly she looks his way, their gazes connecting, and he immediately takes this as an opportunity to startle her with a threatening snarl.

She looks taken aback at first, but then surprises him when she returns his glare with an amused chuckle. She then eases down on the chair, but not before flashing him a friendly smile over her shoulder as if she was saying 'Nice to meet you, too'.

Katsuki blinks back in disgust. He has never felt so insulted in his entire life (and he's known this one worthless dipshit who, despite not having a Quirk, still dares to dream in becoming a hero)! Now he's looking forward to pulverize this thick-browed bitch. Her, and every single extra in this damned room.

The door opened abruptly, revealing another student. This time it was an uptight-looking glasses-wearing ass who – did not even spend two seconds inside the room – immediately went and reprimanded him of his stylish way of sitting. Apparently desks have feelings because four-eyes was telling him to respect what it went through in its shitty life.

Katsuki is pissed, and this dolt – who Katsuki recognizes as the annoyingly loud shithead that got all worked up over the printout during the entrance exam's presentation – is suddenly all up in his face lecturing him about things he couldn't care less about. But this was going to be fun. He ought to get a kick out of this dumbass just so he could momentarily distract himself from the fact that he's going to be stuck sitting behind the annoying blue-haired girl and her offending fragrance.

Katsuki stares up at the newcomer with lazy, rebellious red eyes, and challenges him with a mocking grin. " _Haaah?_ "

* * *

Alumi wore a quizzical smile as she listened to the bickering pair behind her. She liked her new class already. Everyone just seemed so interesting, with each of their unique appearances pertaining their Quirks.

From her past experiences of new schools and first days, Alumi knew what to expect as soon as she would set foot inside her new classroom. Just like what she imagined, nothing much changed, with the exception of the ash-blond boy's rather nostalgic greeting, and the boy with the eccentric hair color combination and a scar over his left eye who had his eyes closed the entire time.

She figured she was the first one to do such a daring introduction judging from her new classmates' expressions. In fact, she could still feel a few lingering stares. She always introduced herself properly during her junior high years, remembering what her mother said once: _"First impressions are very important. To have the odds in your favor, you must establish a good, lasting impression upon others. It will work to your advantage."_

' _Well, I certainly made myself unforgettable now…Should I not have done that?'_ Alumi thought with a tinge of worry, recalling the ash-blond boy's affronted expression. Then again, she didn't like the heavy atmosphere the room had when she first stepped in, so she really couldn't help herself. She could only hope it wouldn't backfire someday.

Glancing at her wristwatch, Alumi noted that class was going to start any minute now. At this thought, Alumi turned her head toward the door and was surprised to see someone standing there. She didn't even hear it open, and no one else seemed to notice it either.

She initially thought it was the teacher, but saw it was another student with a distinctive curly mass of black, green-tinged hair. The unmistakable sight brought a shock of recognition. Now Alumi didn't get to see his face that time during the practical entrance exam months ago, and when she dragged her gaze into his face and saw his bright emerald eyes filled with worry...

 _"Alumi-nee!"_

At that instant she saw the image of Haruki, his sweet voice ringing in her ears as he happily smiled and looked up to her with so much life. Her vision instantly zeroed in on the boy as if he was the only thing she could see. Everything else became blurry, formless figures. There were no peripherals, no other figure, no other thought. It was as if she was inside a dark narrow tunnel with him standing at the end, her only source light, waiting for her.

It was only for an instant, but Alumi saw him. Saw her beloved brother reflected with frightening clarity in that boy's eyes, in that boy's _face_. Of all the moments she had thought of _him_ , of all the quiet, miserable moments she immersed herself in just to savour the memories of when _he_ was still alive, _he had never been so vivid_. Not even in her most pleasant dreams.

Suddenly it was getting hard to breathe. Alumi's eyes prickled and her face felt too tight. She realized with panic that she was about to cry. She immediately tore her gaze away from him, lowered her head and closed her eyes, fighting against the rising tide of tears.

Vaguely she could hear their glasses wearing classmate Iida greeting the curly-haired boy. A moment later she heard a feminine and cheery voice that sounded suspiciously like Ochako, her addition to the two males making quite the ruckus by the entrance.

Alumi was finally able to calm down, and as she watched them intently, her eyes focusing on the curly-haired boy's face, her thoughts aligned towards an unexpected fact that she didn't know whether to feel happy or sad about.

 _'That person…He looks just like Haru…'_

* * *

"A Quirk assessment test?"

After their homeroom teacher Aizawa Shouta made his appearance, the students of 1-A found themselves out into the field in their P .E uniforms to do just that. This assessment test, however, came with the penalty that whoever ends up in last place is going to be expelled. Such was the ruthlessness of their teacher who shot down her classmates' eager energy and Ochako's complaints on fairness.

Still, no matter how cold he may seem, Alumi agreed on Aizawa-sensei's terms and reasons. Japan, and the world, is full of injustice. She's experienced that first hand when Haruki was taken from her and when her Quirk didn't manifest at the age of four.

Life isn't fair. But it isn't meant to be lived in despair and wallow at how unfair it was either. Like what Aizawa-sensei said, heroes are the ones who reverse and overcome those situations, and Alumi was determined to become that kind of hero.

"Go beyond. Plus Ultra. Overcome it with all you've got. Now then, demonstration's over. The real thing starts now."

* * *

"I'm so glad we're in the same class, Alumi-chan!" Ochako exclaimed happily as they walked towards the area for the first test.

Alumi gave her a fond smile. "I knew I'd see you again, Urara-chan, but I didn't think we'd be classmates. It's very comforting seeing you here."

Ochako chuckled sheepishly and grinned. "I feel the same way!" Just then her expression changed as her eyes seemed to latch onto something. Alumi followed her gaze and saw that she was staring at the curly-haired boy with the freckles who walked a few feet away from them.

"The same goes for that boy over there too…Do you still remember him, Alumi-chan?" Ochako asked conspiratorially just as Alumi's chest began to thump with unease.

"Yes," the bluenette murmured. There was no way she could easily forget about him after the impression he made on her. Then there was that nightmare she had of him in her beloved brother's place, and it didn't help that he somewhat resembled Haruki's appearance. Needless to say, Alumi found this boy disturbing. Disturbing in the most fascinating way.

"It's…" Alumi started as she slowly looked away from him and kept a tight smile on her face as she looked at Ochako again. "It's great that he managed to pass after all, huh."

"Un! I'm really glad I was able to pass the entrance exam and see you guys again! But…"

"But…?"

Ochako hesitated. "It's just that…I don't like how our homeroom teacher is going to expel the person who wounds up last. Thinking of who it's going to be is just so sad. I mean, we got this far after everything, after all."

Alumi fell silent. She understands Ochako's concerns completely. Everyone present had dreams they wanted to fulfill, and it would be cruel to shatter those dreams after everything they went through. Yet she also knew that dreams have prices they needed to pay, and as heroes in training, things are just bound to get harder.

"But if Aizawa-sensei is really going to do it…T-then! I'm definitely _not_ going to be that person!" Ochako says with a resolute glare.

Amused by her friend's adorable attempt at looking intimidating, Alumi patted her head affectionately. "Yes, yes. Let's do our best, Urara-chan."

* * *

For the rest of the tests, Alumi did well and garnered results that were above the average. All the time, blood, sweat and tears she invested in her daily exercises have finally paid off. She also felt very satisfied for having the opportunity to execute her abilities, as it is an effective way to show them that she had what it takes to stay in U.A. The assessment test may have been abrupt, but it created a suitable platform for each of them to gauge the extent of their skills now that they could freely use their Quirks.

Now there was this particular test that not only harboured the most attention, but was also the only test where Alumi utilized the other side of her Quirk. It was none other than the ball throw. One by one her classmates had their turn until it was finally Ochako's turn.

Alumi was amazed with the score her brunette friend got. Infinity. Who would've thought that such a score existed? It was then the curly-haired boy's turn. Alumi watched with a heavy heart as he struggled with his Quirk and got practically roasted under Aizawa-sensei's scrutiny.

"Midoriya Izuku. With your power, you can't become a Hero."

Aizawa-sensei's statement hung on the air like a raincloud, piercing not only Izuku but Alumi as well when the former lowered his head like a wilting flower. He looked so helpless and put down that her chest started to clench painfully, and knowing that she could do nothing but watch made it even worse.

Aizawa-sensei released Izuku from his binds and gave him two chances to get a good score. Gradually Izuku's expression shifted from despair to determination. As everybody watched with anticipation, Alumi found herself in a state of conflicting emotions. She couldn't understand why she was so affected and concerned, but deep in her heart she knew the reason why and it was absurd. She knew full well that he was not, and would never be Haruki. And yet the curliness of his hair and the light of not giving up shining in his round bright eyes…He was every bit of the little brother she remembered.

The area around Izuku shot up into a fine upheaval of dust when he launched the ball towards the sky. There was a collective sound of surprise, and even Alumi gasped, simply amazed at the display. She then caught a glimpse of his swollen finger, reminding her of that time during the entrance exam.

 _'He still needs more time to get used to his Quirk,_ _but it looks like he's figured how to minimize the consequences by calculating the level of power he needs.'_ Alumi thought with a mixture of worry and awe. _'Then he focused that portion of power into one of his fingers._ _To think he figured how to do that in such a short amount of time…'_

"Incredible," Alumi breathe out as Ochako cheered beside her. The ball landed, and Aizawa-sensei showed Izuku's results. It was approximately 705.3 meters, overlapping Bakugou's 705.2 by a mere inch, thereby making him the new second best scorer in this test.

Most of their classmates began to murmur with disbelief as no one probably expected such a result from the boy, especially Bakugou himself whose eyes turned as large as golf balls with his mouth hanging agape.

Alumi felt the disturbance in the air before she even saw it.

She felt the back of her neck and a specific area of her head – the part where her _Ahoge_ was located – prickle with unease. She stiffened, knowing what it meant as it happened quite a lot in the past. Confused as to what kind of danger it could possibly refer to at this moment, Alumi was about to reach up and soothe the sudden tingle when she saw the ash-blond boy begin to tremble from the corner of her eyes. She turned her heads toward him and saw that he was gnashing his teeth, eyes ablaze and looking like he was about to jump and throttle someone. He probably was. Alumi followed his line of sight and realized with alarm of just who he intends to throttle.

Katsuki took off with a roar. "HEY! What the hell is going on here, Deku, YOU BASTARD!"

Alumi didn't even think. Her body moved on its own with her arm shooting down to slam a hand to the ground. She didn't even know what she was doing until she felt the vibrations under her palm and saw her crystals erupt from the ground in front of the frightened Izuku, serving as his shield to keep the ash-blond teen from harming him. Both boys jerked in surprise, but even so, Katsuki was relentless. He only faltered for a second and snarled into the huge crystal wall in front of him, right hand bent and already crackling with miniature explosions.

" _Get out of my fucking way_ ––!"

He was about to make a jump at the crystal wall when their teacher suddenly moved to intervene the scene. After subduing the explosive teen and revealing his dry-eye problem, Aizawa-sensei walked off to the side. "We're wasting time. Whoever's next, get ready," he announced with an airy wave of his hand.

Alumi perked up, instantly recovering from her daze. She let out a breath of relief and dusted herself off before walking over to their raven-haired teacher. "I believe I'm next, sensei."

Aizawa-sensei merely grunted his consent. Then he regarded her with stern eyes, his eyes switching over to the crystal wall then back to her again.

"I believe that was your doing," he said, his dark and rough voice almost startling her.

"Yes, sir," she replied, feeling more than a little intimidated under his gaze.

Aizawa-sensei lifted the ball towards her as if to signify that was end of it, but just as Alumi lifted a hand to accept the ball, she sensed he still had something else to say. His subtle hesitation as he seemed to be contemplating his next words was starting to make her nervous. She had half-expected he would probably ask why she did such a feat just now, but instead; "Next time, refrain from doing something impulsive and unnecessary. It is a teacher's job to restrain his students."

Unaccustomed to having a teacher actually scold her, Alumi replied with a rigid nod, her heart beating like a hummingbird's on the inside. "Yes, sir. I understand. I'll strive to do so."

Aizawa-sensei gave her one last look and gave her the ball with a low indicative hum. Alumi accepted it with a gracious bow and turned away, discreetly releasing a breath she wasn't even aware she was holding. As she made her way over to the designated area, she was surprised to see Bakugou still rooted in place. He was fuming, she saw, and Alumi looked at him with disapproving eyes as she walked passed him. _'Why did he suddenly charge at Midoriya-kun like that? And why did he call him 'Deku'?'_

Noticing her gaze on him, Katsuki shifted his menacing glare on her. She blinked, but did not seem fazed, which served to infuriate him even more. It was just like the first time their eyes met, except this time, Alumi wasn't smiling. Instead, she was looking at him with a subtle questioning gaze, and Katsuki turned away in rage.

He was _this_ close to pummelling the answers out of the shitty nerd. _This close!_

But then this annoying thick-browed bitch suddenly interferes long enough for their teacher to restrain him with his binds made out of carbon fiber. It was so far the most humiliating moment of his life and it was all Izuku's fault.

 _'Deku…!'_ Katsuki's glare intensified, his face twisting into a nasty snarl. He was supposed to be nothing more but a pebble on _his_ road to greatness, one who does not even deserve a second glance. But then the goddamned dipshit suddenly dares to stand in the same stage as him, applies to U.A and pulls a stunt Katsuki's never seen him do before. And now…What was so great about him that people would come to his aid?

It was madness. Izuku wasn't even supposed to be there in the first place. He clenched his fists awfully tight and begrudgingly walked away, pinning his hostile stare on the curly-haired boy.

' _You're going to regret making a fool out of me, Deku!'_

* * *

Alumi snapped her fingers and the crystal wall dissipated back into the ground. She was aware of her Quirk's impression on her classmates when they saw her utilize it, but what they didn't know, was that her Quirk is not limited to summoning crystals at all.

 _'Well then, since Midoriya-kun gave it his all, I shouldn't hold back as well.'_ She thought resolutely. She also felt a need to demonstrate the real extent of her abilities after getting practically chastised by Aizawa-sensei.

With a deep breath, Alumi positioned into a right angle stance, her right foot slightly skidding backward and her right arm pulled back into a punch. With the ball gripped in her right hand, she placed her left hand on her right forearm, and began to activate the other side of her Quirk. Her heart throbbed, the increase of supply in her bloodstream jolting her nerves and giving her a salient surge of raw energy. With renewed strength, Alumi threw the ball with all the strength she could muster.

The force wasn't as extreme like Katsuki's and Midoriya's, but the way it flew into sky like a missile elicited similar reactions. It eventually came falling back down and Aizawa-sensei strode over to show them the score. The digits read 393 meters.

"Holy crap!" A certain electrifying blond exclaimed with shock. "300 meters!? This girl's something!"

"The level of brawn within that slender vessel is indeed impressive," commented another with the face of a raven.

"What 'brawn' are you talking about? She's sexy! I'm so glad I'm in this class!" A short boy declared.

Alumi smiled brightly in the face of their commendation, content with her results as she turned away from the spotlight and walked back to where Ochako was. Izuku was there as well.

"Alumi-chan sure is amazing!" The brunette chimed beside him. Izuku turned to her with an inquiring gaze.

"Uraraka-san, y-you know her?"

"Un! We met during the entrance exam. She really helped me back then, and she even helped me get to you when you were falling after defeating that really huge mock villain."

"Really? T-That's really surprising…" Izuku muttered as he furrowed his eyebrows.

Strange. He definitely did not remember seeing her that time. _'Nevermind. I have to thank her for helping me earlier. Kacchan was too close for comfort.'_ Izuku thought as he looked towards Alumi's direction, the girl drawing closer and closer towards them.

"That was a great throw, Alumi-chan!" Ochako greeted when she was close enough. "I didn't know you were that strong!"

Alumi's smile turned sheepish at the brunette's beaming compliment. "Ah, but Urara-chan, your score was infinity. No one here could ever match up to that."

Ochako lifts a flustered hand behind her head while Alumi turns towards the boy beside her. Izuku flinches at the sudden attention shift, not really used to being looked at with such friendly and warm eyes. More than that, it was coming from a really pretty girl!

"Midoriya-kun, was it?" Alumi says before trailing her eyes down to his damaged finger. "That looks painful…Will you be able to continue?"

She looks up at him with slightly worried eyes, and Izuku sputters out a reply, much like how he did when answering a similar question from Ochako.

"A-ah, YES! I-I can still manage! T-t-thank you v-very much!" Izuku immediately hides his beet red face with a bow. That was _not_ how he wanted to thank her, but he couldn't really help himself.

Alumi giggles with amusement, her eyes softening. "I'm glad to hear that."

Izuku looks up to see her smiling at him, the gesture warm and comforting, and he is struck.

Alumi eventually turns her back on him as she watches the next person on the field, unaware of the raven haired boy's questioning gaze on her. Izuku wasn't sure if he had imagined it, but he thought he had seen a glimmer of nostalgia and wistful recognition in her eyes when she smiled at him. It was filled with affection and familiarity.

It was almost as if she's known him her entire life.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **This came out faster than I expected and, yaaay~, Kacchan's finally made his appearance! It really is a blast (pun not intended) writing when it comes to him, I just love using cuss words X)**

 **And there we have it, Alumi meeting Class 1-A, or 1-A's meeting of Alumi! She's got the whole graceful friendly act on lock, and Katsuki's hatin' her guts from the get go. Alumi's got her eyes on Izu-chan too~.** **Now as much as I want to write more, I tend stick to my usual limit of 3000 words, so this will be it for now.**

 **Anyway, here're the tidbits for this chapter~**

※ **Alumi is going to be student no. 16 in 1-A, hence why she sits in front of Kacchan. It has its significance, I assure you. In the meantime, do forgive me for this selfishness Hagakure-chan! T-T**

※ **Ahoge – Literally means 'Idiot or foolish hair'. Now if you're familiar with common Anime characteristic tropes, you'd know what an Ahoge is. It refers to that particular lock or strand of hair that sticks out of a character's head. It's impossible to miss! But that doesn't mean a character has to be an idiot or have a very cheerful personality to have one. While it's more of a visual trait, it sometimes gains a life of its own and acts like an extra limb that further expresses a character's emotions and reactions. I absolutely adore this trope and I think it'd be great if Alumi has one (which she inherited from her dad, by the way), my reason being because I feel it adds a sort of comical contrast to her somewhat mysterious and evasive persona. Most of the time I wish I had one, too ;u; But then again, I'm a loud and a highly expressive person when I'm not being moody lol. I certainly don't need no Ahoge to indicate what I'm feeling haha~! Anyhow, there are definitely more Ahoge moments coming your way =D**

 **[Edited]: Added minor changes, re-edited phrases and fixed grammatical/situational errors.**


	5. Chapter 4: A Shot at Redemption

**Hey all! Do you see our cover!? I finally had the time to make one (thank God!) It's just a glimpse of Alumi, but I'm planning to reboot my Deviant account that I've neglected for quite some time now. It might not be today or tomorrow, but definitely in the near future. Oh, and I used Paint to draw the cover, that's why it's amateurish as hell just in case you're wondering.**

 **Okay, time get to the chapter! Let this update be a Christmas present from me to you~!**

 **As always, a shoutout to the lovely people who took their time to review:** **Diamond-Grl45** **,** **MetteSK** **and** **Guests** **!**

* * *

 **.**

 **〖** **Chapter Four** **〗**

 **A Shot at Redemption**

* * *

The assessment tests were over. The students gathered by the gym waiting anxiously for their teacher to reveal the results.

"It's time for your results. The sum is simply the marks you got from each test," said Aizawa-sensei."It's a waste of time to explain verbally, so I'll show you the results all at once."

A hologramized screen appears from Aizawa-sensei's Quirk assessment recording device, and everybody saw their names in ranks.

' _Oh, I'm on the ninth spot?'_ Alumi thought. It was not for the first time that she was pleasantly surprised that day. She continued scanning down, smiling when she saw Ochako on the tenth. She searched for Izuku's name next, starting to feel a little uneasy when she couldn't find his name. She eventually did, and to be honest, Alumi wasn't too surprised to see that he landed in the last place.

No matter how much he reassured them that he could still move and participate, she saw how much he endured the pain and struggled with the remaining tests. She just couldn't help but sneak brief glances his way the entire time, as if her eyes always seemed to be looking for him.

Adhering to this odd instinct, Alumi glanced at the curly haired boy and saw the look of distress distilled in his emerald eyes. Everyone else also began to throw looks his way when they saw who the unlucky last placer was. Izuku was trembling faintly and Alumi repressed the urge to stand by his side, comfort him, and tell him that he did his best. But who was she kidding? He _did_ do his best _,_ it just _wasn't enough._

They all waited in tension of what their teacher was going to say next. So this was it then? Will Izuku be expelled?

And then Aizawa-sensei shocks all of them when he said in a deadpan voice, "By the way, what I said about the expulsion was a lie."

The tense silence turned into stunned disbelief.

"It was a logical ruse to keep you from limiting your Quirks," Aizawa-sensei clarifies with a grin, and everyone erupts into a state of incredulity and relief, particularly Midoriya who turned as white as a ghost.

"We're done here. You can find the handouts with the curriculum outline in the classroom. Be sure to look over them once you get back."

Alumi and Ochako exchanged relieved smiles while Aizawa-sensei gave the raven haired boy an admission slip to the nurse's office. She watched him carefully for a moment, recalling how she suddenly acted without thinking earlier. Aizawa-sensei had been right. What she did was totally uncalled for, but she couldn't help but do it anyway. Seeing the spitting image of her brother about to be attacked was too much to bear.

Although of course, some features of Izuku differed from Haruki with those freckles of his, his emerald eyes, and black green-tinged hair, but she imagined that this was probably how Haruki would look like if he's all grown-up. Bright-eyed and determined. _Alive_.

She quickly averted her eyes and willed her darkening thoughts and feelings to go away. She wasn't going to give in to the painful memories all those years ago. They had no place here. Not even if an awkward version of Haruki suddenly shows up and brings all those memories back again.

"Alumi-chan, it's time to head back!"

Alumi looks up and readily flashes the brunette a smile."All righ-"

She was cut off by the painful, heated throb in her head, the sensation reverberating through her entire skull, heart and down to her knees. Her eyes went wide as she realizes with dread that she reached her limit already. Quickly Alumi covered her nose with both hands and runs away to the opposite direction.

"Eh, Alumi-chan!?"

"I-I'm sorry but please go ahead without me!"

"Uh, um, okay then? I'll see you later!" Ochako calls after her as she blinks with confusion and worry, watching her friend disappear behind the gym.

Alumi ran as fast she could in a state of panic. Her fingers were becoming wet and sticky and she hurriedly went to the girl's restroom inside the building, recalling where it was from memory when they first entered. She immediately went to the nearest sink.

It was a good thing that she was the only one in the room, because when Alumi removed her shaking hands, a fat trail of blood was trickling down from her nose, tainting her fingers scarlet with some parts of her chin and mouth dotted with bloodied finger prints. She stared at her reflection with wide-eyed horror. It was an abnormal occurring nosebleed, the drawback of the other side of her Quirk when she increases her blood supply and it surpasses her normal blood pressure.

She was aware of the consequences and even took measures to lessen its effect through constant diet, but the experience has always been startling. Alumi had always feared the sight of blood, even her own.

She scrambled to turn the faucet on and washed away the traces of blood before any wayward trail could stain her P.E shirt. The nosebleed eventually stopped after secreting a sufficient amount and she felt all weak and dizzy from the loss of blood. Her world shook and the room spun as she pulled her handkerchief from her back pocket and pressed it against her face.

Alumi squeezed her eyes shut, and saw a glimpse of the spiralling stars in the galaxy. This was another drawback from utilizing that side of her Quirk, this blasted wooziness. It was a drawback within a drawback. Just thinking about it served to make Alumi irate. That's why she doesn't really use it. What possessed her to do it in the first place again? Ah, right. It was after getting scolded and witnessing Izuku injuring himself by doing his best.

Alumi steadied herself by the sink and heaved a heavy sigh. She lifted her droopy, blurred vision towards the mirror, and stared hard and cold into her own eyes.

' _Midoriya-kun is not the only one who needs to improve. I can't rely on crystallization forever. I have to get used to it as soon as possible.'_

* * *

After her detour from the restroom, Alumi gathered her remaining strength and caught up with the others, masking her state of weakness with a perfectly tamed smile as they went to change in the lockers. Ochako was quick to fuss over her, asking why she suddenly ran away. When she replied it was due to her Quirk's drawback, the brunette replied with shared sentiment regarding her own Quirk's drawback.

"Don't I know it! But it goes away after I press certain pressure points behind my neck and wrists," Ochako taps a wrist and beams at her. "How do you deal with yours Alumi-chan?"

"I have to go into a diet full of white mushrooms, spinach, red beets and sesame seeds…Oh, but it doesn't taste that bad." She giggled when Ochako made a face at the mention of spinach.

Truth be told, she also used to loath the leafy green, but gradually got used to it after four years of daily intake (with a mixture of various fruits and vegetables of course). However today, Alumi discovered that it would take more than just a healthy diet to fully advance her ability concerning the other side of her Quirk.

The first day of class ended faster than expected. Their other subject teachers merely introduced themselves and gave a brief description of the respective subjects they were going to teach. Alumi was more than a little amazed that they were going to be under the tutelage of Pro Heroes who were technically celebrities.

' _A hero academy really is amazing,'_ she had thought amidst the discomfort of her drowsiness caused by anemia.

Alumi hurriedly packed her things and made for the exit. Two of her male classmates, Kaminari and Mineta, immediately sought to get close to her, but unfortunately for them, the bluenette was out of the room faster than they could say 'Hello!'

Alumi's breathing came in laboured huffs as she walked as fast as her wobbly legs could go, cold sweat breaking over her skin. Her blood pressure was running low by the second and her hands became uncomfortably clammy. When she finally reached the cafeteria, Alumi took a moment to rest her shaking body against the wall, and closed her eyes tightly against the pang of blackness that overcame her vision.

When the darkness faded away, she squared her shoulders and strode over to the counter with forced casualness. She ordered a huge dose of vegetable salad to-go with dressed chicken along with an energy drink. Alumi had always been careful of her intake of sugar, especially from artificial drinks, but at this point, she didn't care if the caffeinated beverage would disrupt her body's internal balance, as long as it would provide her even an ounce of energy.

She refused to prolong this state of weakness anymore than she already has.

* * *

The sky was blue and the afternoon breeze that carried the sweet scent of a blossoming spring was gentle and comforting. Most of Alumi's energy was now restored, the healthy glow returning to her cheeks after eating the salad, but it was mostly thanks to the artificially sweetened energy drink that her senses were now alight with sugar rush.

' _But after this, I have to double the amount of bitter gourd I'll eat for the next three days.'_ Alumi thought bleakly.

"Alumi-chaaaan!"

Alumi turned and paused almost immediately, smiling at the all too familiar voice. Ochako was still a good 8 meters away from her, but it only took a moment for the Genki girl to close the distance between them.

"Urara-chan," she greeted back. "I take it that you're going home, shall we go to the station together?"

Ochako bobbed her head in agreement and they both settled into an amble pace.

"What a nerve-wracking first day of class, huh?" Ochako commented cheerfully.

"Yes, but I guess that's what makes U.A special."

As they walked towards the gate, they became aware of two familiar boys ahead of them.

"Isn't that..." Alumi began.

"Our classmates!" Ochako finished. "Hey, you two! Are you heading to the station? Wait for us!" And she took off towards them in a cheerful flurry.

Alumi followed in a much calmer pace, eventually reaching the group just in time for introductions.

"You're the infinity girl," Tenya commented to the round faced girl.

"I'm Uraraka Ochako," the brunette supplied before Iida turned his head to the girl beside her.

"And you're the 300-meters crystal girl," he said.

Alumi let out a tiny chuckle at the nickname."I'm Koseki Alumi," she said, remembering that he wasn't there during her introduction earlier. "It's nice to meet you, Iida-kun," she replied with small bow, to which the taller teen returned.

She straightened and instantly locked eyes with Izuku, who almost flinched at the direct contact. "I didn't introduce myself properly before, Midoriya-kun. I look forward to work with you."

"Oh y-yes! Likewise, Koseki-san," he replies, and Izuku congratulates himself for giving a normal response this time.

Ochako shifts her gaze from one boy to another. "Um, if my memory serves me right, you're Iida Tenya-kun," she turns towards Izuku, "-and you're Midoriya Deku-kun, right?"

"Deku!?"

Alumi suppressed an amused grin upon seeing Midoriya's shocked protest. She leaned towards Ochako with an inconspicuous whisper. "I don't think that's Midoriya-kun's first name, Urara-chan."

"Huh? But didn't that boy named Bakugou…"

As if on cue, Bakugou's explosive outburst collectively flashed across their minds at that moment. Now that Ochako mentioned it, Alumi has yet to discover why Bakugou called Izuku with such a demeaning nickname.

Faced with Ochako's doe-eyed curiosity, Izuku sputtered to clear things right away. "Uh, um…M-My real name is Izuku, but Kacchan calls me D-Deku to make fun of me."

' _Kacchan…?'_ Alumi's feelings of friendly amusement morphed into worried wonder. Izuku just referred to the explosive teen by his first name, and now that she thinks about it, Bakugou's strange reaction along with Izuku's recognition for the ash-blond…

A figurative light bulb lit inside Alumi's head. The two boys definitely had some sort of connection before becoming classmates in U.A, and whatever it was, their relationship certainly wasn't pleasant.

Apparently Tenya and Ochako didn't notice this, as they were both focused on his nickname rather than its nature.

"So it's an insult?" Iida speculated.

"Oh, really? I'm so sorry!" The brunette apologized with a hand rubbing the back of her head nervously. "But you know, 'Deku' sounds like the Japanese word for 'You can do it!'–"

' _No, Urara-chan, it doesn't.'_ Alumi thought with a sheepish smile.

" –so I kind of like it," Ochako said with that straightforward, adorable bubbliness of hers that Alumi decided it didn't really matter whether that's what it really sounds like or not, especially with Izuku's comical red-faced reaction.

"I'm Deku!"

Tenya and Alumi were both surprised, but while the bespectacled teen was flabbergasted, Alumi lifted a hand to cover the sly grin that curled the corners of her mouth. ' _My, my. What do we have here...?'_

"You're accepting it too easily! Wasn't that an insult?" Tenya said.

Alumi had to agree that he conceded it a little too fast, but after Ochako's positive comment, she doubted that Izuku would continue seeing that name as an insult from now on.

The curly haired boy turned away, hiding his embarrassed face with both his hands and began to mutter sheepishly, "It's like a Copernican Revolution…"

Ochako blinks, looking eagerly confused. "Co-Pe?"

Iida remains dumbfounded while Alumi laughs quietly beside him. She also had no idea how the Copernican Revolution was involved, but it's certainly the start of something new in more ways than one, for all of them.

* * *

"The train I'm catching is over there," Midoriya said when they finally reached the station, which was only half a kilometer away from U.A. The train he was pointing at was the one situated in the Minobu Line.

He turns to the rest of the group and smiles sheepishly with a hand behind his head. "I guess I'll see you all tomorrow…?"

"Naturally, since we are classmates," Tenya answers with a finger pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose and turns to a specific direction. "Then, I'm going this way."

"Ooh, I'm also heading that way, Iida-kun!" The brunette beams, making the bespectacled teen look at her with surprise.

"The place I'm staying at isn't so far from here, but it's opposite from where their train is heading, so I'm also taking that train too," she explains.

"I see."

"It looks like we all have our train buddies then."

Upon her statement, the trio turns to Alumi and Ochako eagerly asks, "Who's your train buddy then Alumi-chan?"

The bluenette gives Izuku a sidelong glance, smiling. "I live in the neighboring city, so I'll be boarding the same train with Midoriya-kun."

The boy looks at her with astonished eyes.

Ochako nods with approval. "That's great! Then, we'll see you tomorrow."

Alumi and Izuku watched the two disappear into the crowd with Ochako waving nonstop until they were no longer in sight.

"Shall we take our leave as well?" Alumi suggested while she lowered her hand, flashing a smile at the curly haired boy.

"Ah, y-yes…" Izuku replies meekly.

' _He must be nervous.'_ Alumi thought, amused, as they started to walk towards their designated train.

No words were exchanged for quite some time, but it didn't bother her that much. By now Alumi understood that Izuku wasn't used to these kinds of things, and she was going to give him space to adjust. She was perfectly content.

However to Izuku, who still hasn't fully grasped this sudden development, everything was a blur. He couldn't even remember clearly when exactly he bought a ticket or boarded the train. It was like his body was on auto-pilot while his consciousness hovered nearby. However, he was aware of Alumi being right by his side, patiently guiding him as they made their way to the train. If she had noticed his strange behaviour, she didn't show it.

Since it was a rush hour, the car was jam-packed with tired looking students and equally weary looking adults. It was a miracle that they both nabbed two vacant seats. The train's multiple double doors closed, and only then did Izuku snap out from whatever reverie he got himself into.

Timidly he moves his eyes to his left, and sees Alumi looking perfectly calm with a small smile. She had this mature air around her as she sat with her back poised and hands folded neatly on her lap, behaving like a true highborn lady. In fact, judging from the way she speaks coupled with her mannerisms and appearance, Izuku wouldn't even be surprised if she was actually from a well-to-do family.

He turns his head a little to get a closer look at this pretty but strange girl, wondering why she would willingly want to be around him. All the while, he couldn't help but realize at how Alumi was without a doubt one of the prettiest girls he's ever seen. She had the fair, rosy-cheeked complexion of a foreigner, with a slender nose that had a high, slightly pronounced bridge and a snub-nosed tip, a feature that almost seemed out of place with her otherwise delicate Japanese features. Still, the defining feature complemented the over-all structure of her face, cheeks, and her small, almost pouty lips. Her eyebrows may be a little too thick, but they were neat and defined, and did little to mar her lovely appearance.

A faint, slow blush started to spread across Izuku's cheeks as he thought of how Alumi could easily pass up as one of those girls he sees on TV commercials and teen magazines. But at the same time, he felt there was something unreal about her expression. Even him, with his lack of interaction with his peers, could see how it seemed practiced and forced, like she's been doing it for a very long time that it eventually stayed that way. And then there were her eyes. They were an attractive shade of intermingling blue and lavender. Such pretty but emotionless eyes, like those of a wax doll. As he continued to stare, he felt a vague sense of nostalgia, like he's seen those eyes somewhere before, but couldn't remember where and when.

Suddenly aware that he's been staring too much, Izuku teared his eyes away as the sound of the train moving along the railway filled the silence between them. He gulped, not understanding why he felt so nervous.

 _'But isn't this like really awkward!?'_ He screams in his head.

It was supposed to be totally normal. He was just going home with a female classmate, and although that in itself was worthy of getting cold feet over, he knew that wasn't the only reason why he was so nervous.

He remembers the way she looked at him earlier, at how welcoming her gaze was despite having only met him today. He appreciated her kindness, but he also couldn't shake off the feeling of being unnerved. Why would she look at him like that? Why does she seem familiar and why was she acting like he was familiar to her? Is it possible that they had actually met before, but he forgot?

"U-um," he uttered, catching her attention immediately. Izuku couldn't hold it in anymore, he was going to ask her right now. There was no going around this any longer anymore!

"Uh, Koseki-san, I-I'm sorry to ask this but, h-have we ever met before?" There. That came out easier than he expected.

Alumi looked surprised at the question, but smiles in an almost teasing manner when she turns her head to him.

"I don't think so."

He suddenly feels stupid. "I-I thought so," he says, chuckling quietly at his own silliness.

She chuckled too, in a quiet way, and they both fell into silence again.

Izuku decides to break it.

"So, uh, you're from K-Kofu City, Koseki-san?"

Her smile grows wide. "Yes. And I take that you live somewhere in this city?"

"Y-yes," Izuku answered with a nod. "I live with my mom."

That seemed to spark a newfound interest in her. "Only with your mom?"

"Ah, well, my dad is...H-he works abroad y-you see, so it's kind of just me and my mom in the house," he replies with a finger grazing his cheek.

"I see…" Alumi shifts her gaze outside the window, the passing scenery like a blur of colors. "My parents also aren't home often, so it's just me most of the time."

Izuku stares at her, concern overpowering the nervousness he felt. "Oh…But doesn't it get lonely?" He blinks and turns red. "Ah, I-I mean by yourself! I-i-it must be l-lonely by yourself."

Alumi giggled, amused at how he downplays what he assumes to be a personal question. "It used to be," she admitted, "but I'm already used to it by now. I really admire my parents. They are always working so hard doing the things they love. So as their child, it is _my_ job to behave well and avoid causing unnecessary trouble for them."

She had cast her situation in a pragmatic light, but Izuku didn't fail to see the glimpse of emotion in her eyes. However, it disappeared as quickly as it appeared, and he wondered how she learned to cope being technically alone for most of the time in the place she called home.

"I-I see…" _'So Koseki-san really is lonely.'_ He smiles at her. "I think you're doing a good job."

She blinks at him, her bluish lavender irises gleaming. Izuku is surprised himself. That might have been the first time he's seen her look genuinely surprised.

Alumi just smiles and turns her head away. She's suddenly strangely quiet for some reason.

Izuku didn't know what else to say or do, so he pulls his backpack closer to his torso and rests his chin on top of it. Once again the silence returns, but he was a little surprised to find that it was more comfortable than before.

"Midoriya-kun."

Her voice was so soft that it seemed to blend in with the engine's low droning hum. He almost didn't hear her.

"Y-Yeah?"

"I was wondering…Why do you get injured every time you use your Quirk?"

Izuku perked up and sat a little higher, alarm flashing behind his emerald eyes.

Alumi patiently waited for his response, eyes attentive and expectant.

"Ah, w-well…I'm not r-really used to it yet, exactly…" It wasn't a lie, but it also wasn't the whole truth. He couldn't tell her the _real_ reason, but now that she's seemed to grasp his situation, he couldn't very well lie either. He much preferred to answer this way. That should be enough to answer her question, right...?

"I can see that," she replies amiably just before her voice shifts into a much serious lilt. "I thought it was a violent sort of drawback at first, but if it really was just a drawback, then the damage should've been under control by now if you had trained with it regularly after it manifested. I've seen it with some people I know, and even I, too, struggled with something similar in the past…That's why, it makes me think that perhaps your Quirk just manifested for the first time." She paused, and he almost trembles at the knowing, secret look held in her sharp eyes. "It makes me think that, until recently…You've never had a Quirk before."

 _Bullseye._

Izuku felt his shoulders hitch into a jolt but manages to stop himself from revealing the shock he felt, his skin starting to prickle and break out in anxiety. He didn't know how to respond to that. His thoughts were a jumbled up mess of anxious brain circuits, with only one thought recurring over and over again. _'She knows! She knows! She knows! How did she know!?'_

"Midoriya-kun?"

He almost jumps out of his skin. "W-wh-what y-yes!?"

"What's wrong? You're sweating." She points out with furrowed eyebrows.

"Ah, don't w-w-worry about i-it! I-It's just uh, w-w-well, y-you see-!" Izuku sputtered and flails around, and even he doesn't understand what he's doing. All he knows is that he's at the brink of getting skewered with that speculation, and that hell, Alumi could be a really frightening person if she wanted to be in spite of her appearance. Still, she didn't seem like the kind of person who'd mock him for being Quirkless, even though he saw how much she seemed to enjoy watching him trip all over the place.

Finally, mercifully, Alumi lifts her scrutinizing gaze off the poor boy. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she tells him before smiling in a gentle, apologetic manner. "I just couldn't help but notice it, that's all. And if that really is your case, that if you really just recently had your Quirk and was Quirkless before, then I understand completely."

Izuku managed to calm down after hearing that, albeit only a little bit.

"Y-You do…?" He says tentatively.

"I will," Alumi replied with utter certainty, her eyes softening. "Because I used to be Quirkless, too."

Izuku was struck with a shock he didn't expect. Words failed him at first and he could only gape at her with disbelief.

"K-Koseki-san, you…you used to be Quirkless?"

She gave him a solemn nod. "Oh, but I think the correct term would be a 'late bloomer'." Alumi lifted a hand and stared at it as if she's looking into the distant past itself. "My quirk didn't manifest until I was ten…maybe eleven years old, so I lived and was treated as Quirkless before it did." She clenched her hand for a moment before settling it down on her lap.

Izuku would've been envious at how lucky she actually was. She might've been Quirkless before, but at least she had her own Quirk, unlike him who was a Bona Fide Quirkless with a borrowed Quirk. But then her eyes shone with an untold story, and he found himself at a loss. Instead he lowered his head and began to digest this shocking information.

Another train passed and intertwined with theirs, the screeching sound it made along with its fleeting horn drowned all noise within the car as it momentarily blocked the sun's light, casting a looming shadow inside.

"Still…" Alumi hears him say in the dimness. "That's really surprising, Koseki-san. I mean, y-your Quirk looks really strong, so who would've thought, huh."

She agreed with a chuckle. "Only a few people knew about it, so I suppose it really comes off as a big surprise to some."

His eyes widened, and Izuku starts to fidget nervously. "B-But is it okay for me to know? I mean, it's basically a secret, r-right?"

"It's okay," Alumi assured. "I don't really mind with people knowing, because what matters is what we have right now and who we are today. Wouldn't you agree?"

Izuku nodded. He understood what she meant completely. To work hard, putting in life, limb, sweat, blood and tears, in order to reach where they were today and making it a point to work a hundred times harder than everyone else.

"But Midoriya-kun, isn't your Quirk also really strong?" Alumi said with a teasing lilt in her voice.

Izuku rubbed a sheepish hand to his nape. "I still have to get used to it though…"

He had half-expected for her to inquire about it again but to his surprise, Alumi merely hummed in response. They both settled back into the silence, until the other train finally preceded them and they found themselves bathed in sunlight once again.

Alumi turned towards him with curiously amused eyes. "By the way, Midoriya-kun. About your question earlier if we've already met before, why do you ask?"

Izuku sat upright and inhales sharply. He thought that was the end of that. "W-well, it's just…It's just the kind of feeling I get. P-please don't think too much of it though! I'm sorry for asking s-something so weird…"

"It's okay, I don't mind at all," she said and he exhales with relief. "But you know, if we really did meet before, I don't think I'd be able to forget about you, nor would I hesitate to befriend you."

Izuku blinked and looks at her with wide-eyed hope.

"Um…" Alumi started but trails off with a blush, suddenly looking bashful. "Do you…um, we can be friends, right?"

Izuku wasn't sure whether he imagined it or not, but he thought he saw the pedicel stalk of her hair flick and sway in an almost shy manner. He blinks hard once more with a blush of his own, surprised and somewhat pleased that he's not the one who's flustered this time. Then he started to smile.

"Y-yeah!" His smile turned into a huge grin and he holds a hand out to her. "Let's be friends, Koseki-san!"

"Yes," she answers with sparkling eyes. "Oh, but under one condition~" Alumi sang playfully.

"W-what is it?" Izuku asked, feeling nervous again.

"From now on, I'm going to call you Mi-kun, okay?"

"M-Mi-kun!?"

"Mm-hmm. You have a lovely name, but four-syllable names are a bit of a mouthful for me. So, I'll call you 'Mi-kun' instead."

Izuku thought about it. It wasn't so bad, he supposes. It was definitely better than being called 'Deku' anyway, but even now 'Deku' had its bright side thanks to a certain brunette.

"And call me Alumi. I prefer you call me that, too," she added, and really, Izuku is powerless in the face of her persistent smile.

Izuku relents with a nervous chuckle. "A-All right…A-Alumi-san."

Alumi nodded in approval, and together they gave each other a firm handshake on their newly established relationship, exchanging bright, acknowledging smiles.

Again, Midoriya Izuku was not, and will never be Haruki, but maybe, just maybe…

She could fulfill her broken promises to the next best thing.

* * *

 _Haru...Onee-chan will protect you..._ _Even if it's the last thing I do._

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Oh Deku, I do adore your welcoming patience. Please continue to be patient with Alumi especially in the future~!**

 **Next up, we're on to the Battle Trial! It's so exciting!**

 **So here's your usual cup of info that I'd like to be clear about:**

※ **Copernican Revolution – It's the belief that the earth rotates daily on its axis and the planets revolve in orbits around the sun, first introduced and published by Nicolaus Copernicus in 1543, hence the name. Its journey before being recognized was a long hard-fought battle that faced many obstacles. But when it did, it fundamentally changed the way people used to think about our place in the universe. And that is probably why Izu-chan referenced it to his situation when Ochako-chi declared that she liked the word 'Deku' because it somewhat sounds like 'I can do it!' (even though, let's admit it, it doesn't, lol). But of course, because a cute girl said it, it changed Izu-chan's view toward the demeaning nickname. It used to get him down on the dumps being called that, but now he actually made it into his Hero name and made it one of the sources where he draws his strength. And that complete turnabout is certainly very Copernican-like.**

※ **The prefectures of Shizuoka, where the fictional city of Musutafu is apparently located, and Yamanashi, where Kofu City is, are both neighbouring prefectures. Regarding the train routes, Izuku and Alumi boards the train in the Minobu Line, a railroad line that connects Shizuoka and Yamanashi.**

※ **Meanwhile, Tenya lives in Tokyo, and while Ochako's originally from Mie prefecture in the Kansai region, we all know she rents a pad somewhere (probably near U.A) so I made her and our lovely glasses-kun as train buddies~!**

※ **About Alumi's health shake – spinach, white mushrooms, red beet and sesame seeds are all high sources of the Iron mineral. All this has a big part concerning her Quirk's other side. Also, bitter gourd is known for lowering sugar levels in the blood.**

※ **For those who are confused, Alumi has only ONE Quirk. I know I already mentioned this before but Crystallization is not the only thing she can do, it's just a part of her Quirk's range, which bids me to tell ya'll that her Quirk is actually sort of a hybrid. Not quite like Todoroki's Quirk, but definitely similar.**

※ **Genki girl – Genki means 'energetic or enthusiastic'. One of the famous tropes used in Anime/Manga, the term refers to overwhelmingly cheerful girls that always seem to tire or astonish those around them. They also tend to be quite air-headed. While Ochako doesn't tire those around her, is definitely not air-headed, and is technically only about a half of an actual Genki girl, I took the liberty to refer to her as such because of her positively vibrant persona 'u' The only true legit Genki girl in this series is undoubtedly Mina lol.**

* * *

 **In Response to the Guest Reviews:**

 **MetteSK:** Oh WOW. This is the first constructive criticism I have ever received, I have waited for something like this! And may I first say that I am very embarrassed XD? But ofc I'm also very, very thankful. I'm really glad you pointed out the areas in which I have to improve, especially in my character's, and that's the kind of quality that an aspiring writer seeks in a reader.

First I'm sorry for Aizawa-sensei's OOC-ness. I've been struggling how to make him seem encouraging but also stern, and I can't blame you for that. *Hides blushing face with hands*

*Cough* Anyway, I understand that I have portrayed Alumi as quite the 'perfect confident' character, and to be honest, while it is not entirely my intention to make her look "perfect", that kind of demeanor/persona is the kind of intro I wanted for them(canon-characters), and you readers, to see. Of course as the story progresses, I will work at how I will develop her more– bring down her walls and such.

I'd also like to point out that it's much too soon for me to delve deeper into Alumi's character since I believe we are still quite early. I can only hope that you have the patience to wait with me. And you don't have to worry any further about everyone in 'awe' of her, that was just their initial reaction (and not to mention that part is written in Katsuki's pov and that's what it seemed to him) I assure you that she will fall back into normalcy and be the background bitch that she will be =D

I find you to be very supportive, attentive and overall helpful. Your constructive criticism has helped me organize my thoughts on some things that really matter, and the things I haven't given much deeper thought of before.

Thank you so much for taking your time in writing your thoughts, MetteSK-san. I really appreciate it.

P. S – Whad'dya mean farewell!? I expect to hear more from you so you better come back here okay!?

 **Guests (who I've surmised is the same person from Ch 2 and 3):** Thank you so much for pointing the scores on the entrance exams! I've corrected that now, and my God if it wasn't for you, I would've NEVER noticed such a cringe worthy mistake on my part! *slaps self* I apologize for lack of explanation about more of Alumi's Quirk, but we, my friend, are surely getting there~! Thank you so much for your kind encouraging words. Stay tuned!

* * *

 **Just a note everybody, but I really, really dislike Mary-Sues, so if you feel like Alumi's bein' a Sue, TELL ME RIGHT AWAY and I will put her in a gigantic washing machine until she ain't one. The last thing I want to do is make a Mary-Sue character and ruin this amazing Manga/Anime. I mean, I even have a guide for this kinda thing y'know! /(O[]O)/**

 **Anyway, I always give a response to reviews via PMs, (unless you're in guest mode, then I can't reach you that way) but if you have any concerns in guest-mode then I would gladly answer at the end of every chapter!**

 **Questions, Clarifications and Constructive Criticisms are all very welcome! Of course, Compliments are too~**

 **Reviews are LOVE! But not required.**

 **Happy Holidays!**

 **[Edited]: Fixed grammatical errors, added minor change and re-wrote some phrases.**


	6. Chapter 5: Boons & Banes - Battle Trial

**Happy New Year, Happy Valentines, Happy Birthday and all the other annual happy holidays that I wasn't able to greet on due to my months of absence, everyone! =D Here's a long one to compensate.**

 **A special shoutout to:** **Reversus12** **for the wonderful reviews. Again, thank you very much!**

* * *

 **.**

 **〖** **Chapter Five** **〗**

 **Boons and Banes: Battle Trial**

* * *

Alumi remembers the first time she saw All Might.

 _"Look, Alumi-nee! It's a mini-All Might!"_

 _Alumi leaned closer and regarded the toy with astonished eyes as Haruki holds it up to her. "So this is what All Might-san looks like?" Having never seen the famous hero before, the figurine's dashing smile left Alumi skeptical._

 _"Yes, but he's even cooler in real life!" Her brother quipped as he preened under his sister's gaze. "He looked super cool defeating this octopus-like villain yesterday! Aww, you should've seen it, Alumi-nee. He went 'whoosh!' and 'wham!' and–" Alumi burst out giggling when he started to strike poses, prompting Haruki to pause and laugh along with her._

 _"Um...Haru? How did All Might-san defeat the villain?"_

 _Four year old Haruki beamed, obviously pleased with the request. Being only three years younger, he felt more obligated in informing his older sister the sheer awesomeness of Japan's most celebrated hero. It was strange, how his Alumi-nee never showed interest in heroes. Every time he invited her to watch videos of their acts with him, she would always decline. He once heard his parents saying that his sister was Quirkless, a rare unfortunate case in this era._ _Haruki wasn't certain, but he felt it had something to do with why his Alumi-nee wasn't exactly keen on the topic. But now she actually looks interested for once. He was more than happy to oblige._

 _"I'll show you!" Haruki crawled over to a discarded octopus plushie and brought it back to where Alumi sat. With the two toys in both hands, Haruki closed his eyes. His hands started to glow with a cyan light, a clear indication that his Quirk was working._

 _Alumi watched with fascination as the two toys began to writhe and move due to her brother's power. It was amazing. It had only been about two weeks since Haruki's Quirk manifested, but here he was looking like he's already mastered it. "He's a true genius!" – was what their parents and everybody else always said._

 _As his older sister, Alumi was filled to the brim with pride. But at the same time, she feels a little lonely. 'It must be nice, having a Quirk...'_

 _Haruki finally opened his eyes, and like a master puppeteer, placed his small hands in a hovering manner over the objects and began controlling them with invisible strings._

 _"Show Alumi-nee how All Might defeated the villain."_

 _The miniature All Might and the octopus plushie perked up at the instruction and immediately faced and fought each other in a mock exhibition of what Haruki envisioned them to do. As Alumi fawned and gaped, her auburn haired little brother turns to her with a proud grin._

 _"See? Isn't he cool, Alumi-nee?"_

 _"Yes, but you made him like that, though." And Haruki pouts when his sister laughs, still clearly unconvinced._

 _"But it's truuueeeee! You should watch his battles with me next time, Alumi-nee. Nobody's as cool as All Might!"_

 _Alumi could only smile sheepishly as Haruki insists his hero is the best. Then his voice turns dream-like, his big round eyes shining with hope. "I want to be a cool hero just like All Might someday... "_

At that moment Haruki's voice fades away, and the memory recedes as Alumi stares at the real-life All Might walking up to the front. Much like herself, her classmates were awestruck at the sheer force of his presence.

"I teach Hero Basic Training," was All Might's booming greeting. "As the name implies, it is a subject where you train in different ways to learn the basics of being a hero. You'll take the most units of this subject!"

Alumi sucked in a deep breath as she clenched her hands into fists, determination and excitement flowing through her veins. This was it, the Hero Training Course she was looking forward to.

"Well then, let's get right to it!" All Might struck a super cool pose and pushed the pedal to the metal by revealing their agenda for the day: "Combat training!"

* * *

After the exciting announcement, the boys and girls of class 1-A were tasked to change into their costumes and hurriedly went to their respective locker rooms. On her way out, Alumi was surprised to see Bakugou a few meters ahead of her, who also seemed like the first one to finish changing. She paused briefly, a small frown between her eyebrows. He was about to turn a corner. Hesitating only a second, Alumi followed.

To her relief, Bakugou hadn't noticed her yet. Alumi took this as an opportunity to observe his costume closely. It was intriguing, to say the least. It made her conscious of her own costume, which was a sleeveless form-fitting bodysuit made of reinforced, flexible and shiny material with violet, gray and white color schemes. She also wore a few accessories to go with her costume: a belt-bag that contained first aid necessities, and replacing her signature Dango-themed hairpin was a pair of diamond-shaped hair clips that had no functionality whatsoever other than for the sake of wearing it. Still, it was a gift from her childhood friend (who absolutely insisted she wear it), and it went well with her costume's appearance.

Overall Alumi's costume was simple but sleek. Looking back on Bakugou, he looked like a rebellious battalion commander, his costume depicting the dangerous nature of his Quirk and perhaps himself; what he obviously wants everyone to see. However, it wasn't Bakugou's costume that made him intimidating. It was the way he brought himself.

His steps were a confident strut, posture rigid and strong, arms bare and shoulders broad, showing the masculinity and power contained within. Even with his back turned to her, Katsuki exuded the aura of dominance and power. He looked so sure of himself that Alumi wondered if he was always like this. Such preternatural confidence, she surmised, could only be achieved either by being pampered since birth, or left alone to do things on one's own with no one to rely on.

Her gaze eventually slid down to his grenade-like gauntlets, eyes narrowing warily. Woe to the person who would inevitably become its target. At that instant an image of Izuku flashed in Alumi's mind, the memory of how Katsuki wanted to hurt him. Her gaze shifted into one of curious irritation. Why does he have it out for Izuku? Even now after her newly formed friendship with the curly-haired boy, she still wasn't able to clarify Izuku's connection to the ash-blond. Alumi made a mental note that she would ask later.

"What the hell are you following me for?"

Alumi almost flinches at the harsh tone and at the sudden attention directed at her. Meeting his gaze, she had to restrain the little shock that wriggled through her nerves as Katsuki stared with wild, piercing red eyes.

Donning an amiable and unaffected look, Alumi replied, "In case you have forgotten, you and I are in the same class. We practically have the same destination, Bakugou-kun."

One of his eyes twitched. The look of antagonism he gives her screams of accusation, and the little stunt she did yesterday flashed through their minds.

"You…you're that meddling bitch yesterday..." Katsuki snarled lowly. Then he steps closer, his posture menacing. "What makes you think you can talk to me so casually, huh!?"

The smile on Alumi's face wavered. Still, she was able to retain her composure under his ferocious glare. "I admit what I did was uncalled for…But it was your actions that were strange, don't you think?"

Katsuki's eyes narrowed further, and Alumi knows she flicked a nerve. Surprisingly, he is silent at that moment, looking like he was caught off guard by the speculation. Alumi doesn't give him the chance to speak. She barrels on, succumbing to the urges at the tip of her tongue, ignoring the feeling that she was threading on thin ice.

"You suddenly tried to attack Midoriya-kun for no reason. Yet it seems like you have one for doing so. Why? What do you have against him?"

Katsuki's eyes went wide. He certainly hadn't expected that. She watches him intently, expectantly, patiently waiting for his reply. On the other hand, Katsuki was overwhelmed with a mixture of anger and bewilderment. This thick-browed bitch was taking her meddling to a whole 'nother level, and yet she was so relaxed like they were talking about the weather. And the way she was looking at him…Was she seriously expecting him to hand the answer on a silver platter?

"None of your fucking business!" He spat through clenched teeth, eyes hard with contempt. "Who the hell do you even think you are, _ahhh!?_ I don't know what the hell your deal is, but stay the _fuck_ out of my way!"

Alumi's thick eyebrows lowered. And before she could say anything, Katsuki had turned and walked away with angry strides. She watched him go until he finally disappeared around the corner, her eyes narrowed in disappointment.

He didn't answer her question, even though she already expected that much. But what really bothered her was how she easily gave into his provocation which led her to ask the question she intended for Izuku. Then again, while Alumi had always been aware that her curious nature sometimes made her seem intrusive, nobody ever called her a "meddling bitch" before. Just thinking about it made her left eye tingle with a spike of annoyance.

With a soft sigh, Alumi continued forward. She knew Bakugou was infinitely vulgar and mean, (more so than she thought)… _'But I suppose this is how Bakugou-kun treats everyone. He reminds me of Matsu-sensei.'_ She chuckled to herself. As for his warning, there was no need for it. Because other than the aspects of where Izuku is concerned, Alumi has just resigned herself to stay away from the ash-blond's sphere of contact. Whenever possible.

* * *

Outside Ground Beta, it was decided that the Combat Training would be an indoor battle between the villains and the heroes. The mechanics were simple: heroes would be infiltrating the villain's hideout, with the choice of either retrieving the hidden nuclear weapon or defeating the villains. The same goes for the villains with the options of either protecting the weapon or capturing the heroes. All would have to be done in the allotted time of fifteen minutes. Teams and opponents would be chosen by drawing lots. That way everybody would have a fair chance, along with the experiment of compatibility and working in a team.

Alumi raised her eyes from her placard that read 'Team C', and began to look for her teammate. _'I wonder who my partner would be…'_

She had wished to be paired with Midoriya, but apparently fate decided to put him and Ochako together. As disappointed as she was, Alumi couldn't help but smile at how cute the two looked, with the brunette getting all bubbly and Izuku turning into a flustered fuss.

She eventually found her partner, a female classmate named Yaoyorozu Momo. Momo was a tall, beautiful girl with sharp onyx colored eyes, delicately defined facial features with a straight nose, long and silky raven hair styled into a spiky ponytail, and a rather gifted rack. From what Alumi has gathered about her recently, Yaoyorozu would be one of the sober intellectual types who also happened to be highly athletic, seeing as she ranked number one on yesterday's Quirk assessment test. She suited her just fine. Alumi was confident that there would be no problems working with her.

Yaoyorozu turned and caught her eye, and nodded in her direction while holding her own placard for the bluenette to see. Alumi returned the nod with a smile.

The die was cast, and the first two teams to oppose each other were Team A and D, ironically Midoriya versus Bakugou.

"Team A will be the heroes, and team D will be the villains. The rest of you head toward the monitor rooms."

All Might's statement was met with a collective chorus of "Yes sir!"

As their classmates left the area, some of them threw brief glances at the two boys that remained, Alumi being one of them. She paused and stayed in place to observe. By now most of the class knew of the ash-blond's contempt towards the raven haired boy due to his outburst the other day, and the match would no doubt be a heated one. As intriguing as things were unfolding, Midoriya would be up against the one guy who wanted nothing more than to blow his face up. Literally.

Alumi could practically feel the sparks of barely controlled rage radiating from the explosive teen. Flicking her eyes to her friend, the poor boy looked shaken up, just as she expected. But what Alumi didn't expect, was for him to return Bakugou's glare, levelling the ash blond's fierce stare with a determined and competitive look of his own. Midoriya wasn't challenging Bakugou, or even daring to seem superior, but rather showing him that he would not cower in the face of the ash-blond's hostility.

Alumi shared the look of surprise in Katsuki's eyes, and then she smiled. When the ash blond finally left with angry stomps, she walked over to where the curly haired boy was walking, his pace sluggish with worry. Izuku eventually noticed her coming over to his direction and he flashes her a shaky smile, to which Alumi returns with a soothing one.

"Nervous?"

"Y-Yeah, k-kind of," he admitted as they began to walk together. Alumi could sense his anxiety. It was tangible.

"Well, I can see why you are," she said softly in a matter-of-fact tone. "Bakugou-kun is going to be a tough opponent for you."

Midoriya nods with a sigh, his expression turning grim. "He's dangerous…and it's not just his Quirk that I have to look out for."

At his indication, Alumi wanted to ask about his connection with the explosive teen, but watching him all tensed up made her drop the words she wanted to say. He needed to focus, and she really didn't want to add to the pressure he already felt.

"It's going to be fine, Mi-kun. I know you can do it," Alumi said encouragingly.

"Y-You think so…?"

"Of course. If you believe that you can, then you will. All you need now is the confidence to believe in yourself."

Hearing those words lightened Izuku's worries considerably. Then he became aware that she was smiling warmly at him with the same look of wistful nostalgia that made him squirm with self-consciousness. Izuku colored and had to avert his eyes elsewhere.

"Y-yes, you're right. I'll r-remember that, t-thank you very much!"

They eventually reached the point where they would have to separate and head to each of their designated locations.

"I'm afraid we have to part here, Mi-kun," Alumi said as she stood in place.

Izuku paused abruptly as if he had just noticed her stop. "Ah, r-right! Sorry to bother you, and thanks for the advice, Koseki-san."

Alumi smiled as if to say 'You're welcome', before putting on a chiding pout. "Now that won't do. We're friends now, remember? It's supposed to be 'Alumi'."

Izuku turned two shades darker. "O-Oh right! S-Sorry!"

She couldn't help but giggle. He was just too cute getting all shy and embarrassed. "It's okay. You'll get used to it eventually, Mi-kun."

"W-Well, I better get going now…"

Alumi nods with an encouraging smile. "I'll be rooting for you. Do your best."

Midoriya gave her a determined nod as he sprinted off to catch up with his teammate. For a second Alumi saw not Midoriya's retreating back, but the figure of a small boy with curly orange-colored hair running further away from her.

She closed her eyes and sighed to shake off the familiar pang in her chest. By the time she opened her eyes she saw the figure of Izuku again, the boy finally reuniting with Ochako and Alumi watches them with a forlorn smile. She then turns away to join the others in the monitoring room.

* * *

Although the first match lasted no more than fifteen minutes, it was an unbelievable nerve-wracking and astonishingly mind-blowing battle that felt like it all went down in an instant. More than that, the rest of Class 1-A could not believe their eyes at everything that just happened, nor of the outcome.

"Hero team…WINS!"

Alumi was filled with an encompassing tide of relief as All Might's voice resounded everywhere. But that relief faded when she saw Midoriya's battered body on the ground. In the end, Team A won, but not without sustaining considerable damage on Midoriya's side. The building didn't escape the intensity of the match, either. Everything at their end was a mess, and under normal circumstances that alone wouldn't be seen as a clear-cut victory. It was exactly what their raven-faced classmate Tokoyami said, "They lost the battle, but won the war."

Alumi could only cast a distressed look at Izuku's unconscious form as he was taken away to be treated immediately. The thing she feared concerning Bakugou's grenade-like gauntlets happened, and the poor boy had never looked so beat up. Alumi couldn't remember the last time she felt so on edge with her nerves hanging dangerously on the surface, torn between worry and a thrill for action. Izuku was simply amazing, going toe-to-toe with Bakugou without even utilizing his Quirk. He even managed to slam Katsuki into the ground with an astonishing interlocking overhead throw! No one definitely expected for Izuku to pull something like that – not even Alumi – and now it created grounds for respect.

It was also through this battle that Alumi was able to discern important facts about her new friend. That one, Izuku is good at reading his opponents and readjusting his moves for a suitable counter-strategy, and two, he knows his strengths and limits, and has a knack for using his environment to his advantage.

Meanwhile Uraraka, Iida, and Bakugou joined the others in the monitoring room for further evaluation of what transpired. Yaoyorozu did an amazing job summarizing the match and overall performance of each opposing team. Iida was in pure bliss for being the MVP of the battle, more so after being commended for his role as a villain.

Alumi walked over to Ochako, congratulating her and offering support to her apparent discomfort.

"Thank you, Alumi-chan. I'm feeling much better," Ochako says with a weary smile. "Compared to Deku-kun, this is nothing."

Seeing the shaking concern in her eyes, Alumi placed a reassuring hand on Ochako's shoulder. "He'll be fine, Urara-chan. I'm sure of it." Ochako nodded and smiled back.

"All right, everyone! Time to change locations and start match two!"

Alumi looked up towards All Might at the announcement. But just before her gaze could reach him, her eyes caught the figure of Katsuki instead. He had relocated to the back of the group, quiet and still. She paused to stare at him.

After witnessing his initial defeat, Alumi felt a surge of sadistic satisfaction. He finally got served his just desserts. He was like a madman during the match, focused solely on bringing Izuku down and seeming to forget the test entirely. His rivalry towards the other boy was evident throughout the duration of the entire match. And although she didn't know the whole story between the two boys, Alumi knew what she just witnessed was an accumulation of their relationship throughout the years, with Izuku getting the brunt of it. It was about damn time the explosive teen got what was coming for him. But now that feeling was ebbing away the longer Alumi stared at him.

What a change it was to see the condescending ash-blond stunned with dejection. It was probably the first time he lost, his damaged pride crumbling along with his broken heart.

He looked pitiful.

He looked so shaken despite his still despondency that she instantly recognized that look, a look she knows too well. The look that says, _"I know, but I just can't accept it! I don't want to admit it. I can't!"_

And Alumi almost felt sympathetic because he reminded her of someone she knows _too_ well.

 _(The days she couldn't accept his death.)_

Suddenly Bakugou twitched, and Alumi teared her gaze away before he could notice her eyes on him. But he looked so consumed in his own world that she was convinced he wasn't paying any attention to his surroundings, or anybody else for that matter, much less her.

* * *

Astoundingly, the second match between Team B and Team I was over in less than five minutes with another win for the hero team.

It was all due to Todoroki's power. The extent of his Quirk range was so strong that not only did it cover the entire building in ice in just a matter of seconds, it also reached the others back at the monitoring room as well.

Rubbing her upper arms in an effort to warm herself, Alumi's eyes unconsciously drifted off towards Bakugou's direction, who was the only one who seemed unaffected by the cold. But upon a closer look, he looked shaken to the core for some other reason.

As the others re-entered the monitoring room, Alumi's gaze settled and stayed on Todoroki. Unlike Katsuki, he wore an aura of power comfortably and without fanfare as the rest of their classmates openly stared at him with admiration and caution.

Todoroki certainly knows the length of his abilities, but at the same time it was like he was placing restrictions on himself. She wondered why he covered his entire left side in ice, the half part of him that apparently uses heat…

 _The sight of crackling fire and dancing shadows. The scent of smoke and blood. The formidable figure of a man among a blazing wall of flames._

" _Strength requires sacrifice. Remember that if you want to be strong, little girl."_

Alumi did a double-blink at the sudden remembrance. She feels her throat tighten all of a sudden, the rest of her body tensing in alarm. She turned away and took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart, bewildered as to why he suddenly reminded her of that.

Stealing another glance over her shoulder, Alumi curiously narrowed her eyes at the Half-Cold Half-Hot user.

 _'Why does he feel so familiar…when I've never even met him before?'_

She eventually looked away from him in favor of the third match that was about to commence, momentarily rubbing a finger to the indentation between her eyebrows. Everything was getting frustratingly out of hand during these past few days. Somehow she began to dread the coming days if this onslaught would continue to persist. Because other than the nightmares that haunt her at night, the recurring flashes of memory seemed to be coming back to her lately. She didn't like that.

Alumi tries not to think too much of it and keeps her focus steady for her upcoming match. Focus. That was all she needed to do to keep her misery at bay.

* * *

The fourth match-up was decided: the villains of Team C; Yaoyorozu Momo and Koseki Alumi, versus the heroes of Team G; Jirou Kyouka and Kaminari Denki.

Alumi wasn't too pleased with the results. She didn't like donning the role of a villain, even though it was nothing more than training. Alas, there was nothing she could do about it other than to execute the heinous role. She represses the bitter aftertaste in her mouth at the thought while she and her partner Momo stood outside the fourth battle building.

All Might stood facing the two girls, giving them a quick briefing. As she listened to the number one hero, Alumi couldn't help but feel a little distracted. All Might's onscreen glam couldn't even begin to compare with his actual overwhelming glory up close. But somehow, Alumi felt unease, a simmering surreality underneath his layer of strength. She only started to notice it after Izuku was rushed to the clinic.

Come to think of it, he was tense during the entire time the first match was going on. It was like All Might was restraining himself – she recalls his taut facial features and the perspiration that formed on his temples – for reasons she couldn't comprehend.

"Now young ladies Yaoyorozu and Koseki, remember that the key to winning this challenge is to take your roles seriously. Treat this as the real battle. Don't fret if you have to think from a villain's perspective and act like one, and don't hesitate to use the maximum extent of your powers. But since we don't want the same incident with young Midoriya to happen again, I'll stop the fight if it gets too far, is that clear?" All Might said with a flash of his million watt grin, dispersing Alumi's thoughts.

"Yes, sir." They both replied.

"Okay! The battle will begin after five minutes! Until then, go and prepare." All Might dashes off after bidding them good luck, leaving a gust of wind in his wake.

"All Might-san seems to be in quite a hurry," Alumi commented as she lowers her hand from her nose.

Momo nodded in agreement while attempting to disperse the flurry of dust that also rose up to her face. "Shall we get in?"

Alumi nods and they both turned towards the building, each putting their game faces on.

Alumi throws her partner a smiling sidelong glance. "I look forward in completing this challenge with you, Yaoyorozu-chan. I will be in your care."

"Yes, likewise."

They were about to enter the building when Alumi paused halfway, making Momo do the same.

"What are you doing?" She asked when the bluenette suddenly knelt on one knee on the ground.

Alumi looks up to her with a sheepish smile. "I almost forgot! Before we enter…"

Momo watched, stupefied and a bit amazed, when Alumi conjured a crystal pillar. It exceeded the girl's height. She estimated it to be about six feet tall with a width of about thirty inches in diameter.

 _'It's huge…Wait, she's carrying it?!'_ The raven haired girl was remotely alarmed when Alumi started to balance it over her right shoulder.

"I-It's kind of…heavy," Alumi puffed out, "but this should be enough."

Alumi gives the pillar a small pat while Yaoyorozu looks on with a disgruntled face. "Do you need some assistance?" she managed to ask.

"It's all right. It's much heavier than what I'm used to, but I'll be fine," Alumi replied, looking entirely happy for someone carrying such a heavy burden (literally), but the perspiration that started to form upon her temples said otherwise.

Momo decided to leave the girl to her own devises. "A-All right, then. Let's go inside." She started to walk ahead but in a much slower pace so the bluenette can catch up, all the while wondering, _'What is she planning to do with it anyway?'_

Sooner than later, Momo eventually began to feel peevish and uneasy with how things were going. The battle would start any minute now and they were still not in their designated area, all because of the girl lugging behind her.

Yaoyorozu closes her eyes and huffs before turning around to regard Alumi with disapproving eyes. "Koseki-san, carrying that thing is slowing us down. I shall not stay idle any longer. Please wait a moment."

Alumi paused and looked up to see Momo begin to summon something from her stomach. When it was complete, it slipped from her body, revealing to be a metal shopping cart, the kind commonly found in grocery markets. The only difference is that it's bigger and had a deeper basket than the average ones.

"Here," Momo said as she pushed it towards her. "You may use it."

Alumi looked down from Momo to the metal cart with wide astonished eyes, her mouth breaking into a huge grin. "Amazing! Well then, don't mind if I do."

"The metal support is ten times thicker. I assure you that it will hold out." Momo couldn't help but remark when it creaked under the crystal pillar's weight.

"Ooh, you're right," Alumi commented as she gave the cart an experimental push. "This is definitely much better. Thank you very much, Yaoyorozu-chan."

"It's no big deal," Momo said, though her face practically glowed with pride, probably because of the efficiency of her creation. "Now, let's head to the third floor."

"Un. I'm right behind you." Alumi pushed at the handle and followed Momo's lead towards the elevator located at the end of the hall.

Once they arrived at their designated post, Momo started manufacturing steel plates of various sizes while Alumi pushed the trolley towards the nuclear-shaped weapon made of papier-mâché. She slowly began to lift the crystallized pillar out of the cart and placed it beside the weapon. When she was done, she strode over to Momo and sat down by a nearby crate, watching the raven haired girl work with childlike interest and wonder.

"I'm going to fortify our defenses by sealing this entrance," Momo explained when she noticed the bluenette from the corner of her eye.

"I see, like a barricade."

"Yes."

"Seems like you've already got a good plan going even before it's our turn, Yaoyorozu-chan," Alumi said, amused and impressed.

"Naturally, it's always better to plan ahead than wait for something significant to happen," Momo replied while stacking the steel plates tier by tier, one at a time.

"Agreed. Your Quirk is really amazing. It allows you to summon all kinds of objects, huh?"

Momo's concentrated look morphed into a pensive one. "Not summon, exactly. More like I make them. I can create anything using the fat on my skin as long as I know how they are made."

"Hnn. So you can't create things just by looking at them." Stated Alumi rather than asked.

"That is correct," Yaoyorozu replied with a small smile touching her lips, seemingly pleased that Alumi got the gist of it.

A moment of silence. Then: "You know…my Quirk is similar in that manner."

Momo gave her an arrested glance. "How so?"

Alumi folded her hands together and placed it on her lap. Although her features seemed nonchalant, she emitted the impression like she was about to share something crucial. "Many mistake my Quirk as a mere crystallization type in the augmenting category. To be honest even I thought so too at first, but as I became aware of this power, I realized how wrong I, and everyone else, was. Because the truth is, I merely manipulated the minerals that already exist underground."

Just as she expected, Momo looked bolted from the blue. "So you are saying that the true nature of your Quirk...is by mineral manipulation?" Her statement was met with a nod.

"I can summon crystals and manipulate them however I want," Alumi continued, "but only as long as there's a source, which is usually the earth we tread upon. And so, I can't conjure crystals from this wall or the cement we're standing on because they don't have the necessary elements. I also need to have direct physical contact with the source. Otherwise, I can't conjure crystals with will alone."

"I see…" Momo muttered before shooting a questioning look at the crystallized pillar. "Then, what are you planning to do with that?"

With a shrewd smile on her face, Alumi stood up and sauntered over to the crystal with purpose. "I may not be able to summon crystals in this place, but with this, I can use it as an alternative source. The only downside is that I can't change its quantity once it's been severed from its main source, so I'll have to make use of it as it is." She paused and did a once-over at the faux-weapon with a satisfied smile. "And I think this will do just fine."

With a touch of Alumi's palm, the crystal melted into a liquified state. Momo watched in stunned silence as it slithered up and molded around the faux nuclear missile, moving and covering the whole thing according to its mistress's will. When it was done, Momo inquisitively strode over to the faux-weapon now encased in shining crystal.

"So this is what you had in mind…" she murmured. Then Momo looked up and blinked. "It didn't cover the whole thing though…If they touch that, it's over for us."

Alumi came up beside her with a sheepish smile. "Oh dear…I underestimated the weapon's size…But we're waging on whether our opponents can breach our defenses or not, right? I'm hoping for the latter."

Momo nodded thoughtfully. "True. Still, this is quite impressive." She tapped the crystal with her knuckles as if to test its solidity. "A raw crystallite is made of very hard mineral components. If what you said is true, then a mere blow wouldn't be enough to break this."

"It's a different matter if we're up against a heavy-duty Quirk, though. Thankfully, none of our opponents seem to possess that kind of Quirk," Alumi said cheerfully.

Momo continued to scrutinize the crystal. _'Koseki-san summoned this outside where the minerals are needed to create this. If this is indeed made from raw crystalline minerals, then I can't think of anything other than Aluminum to make it possible in the first place. It's only normal I suppose since Aluminum is the third most abundant element underneath the earth, it can be found everywhere. But something doesn't add up...'_ Her eyes widened in realization.

Momo whirled around to face Alumi with grave intrigue. "Koseki-san, you say that the source of your crystals is from underground."

"Uh-huh, because that's where the crystalline elements are."

"And what crystalline element would that be? It couldn't be other than Aluminum, is it?"

"Aluminum _Oxide_ , actually."

Momo shot her an incredulous look. "Then this crystal…you mean to say you can summon genuine Corundum!?"

"More like I manipulate its mineral state and make them appear into crystals," Alumi replied, her smile turning sheepish under Momo's scrutiny. "Umm, is everything alright, Yaoyorozu-chan?"

"Yes. It's just that I find this Quirk of yours inconceivable."

Alumi tilted her head. "Aren't all Quirks inconceivable though? Besides, you can create things from your epidermis."

Momo blinked back while placing a pondering hand to her chin. "Hm, touché."

Alumi laughed. "That said, my Quirk is still pretty useless when I'm indoors though."

"That's not true," Momo said as she gives her an appraising glance. "You may not be able to summon your crystals directly, but you certainly know what you have to do, as shown how you already summoned one prior to entering the building."

The bluenette grazes a finger to her reddening cheeks, seemingly embarrassed from the compliment. She has certainly been praised before, but this was actually the first time somebody complimented her strategical abilities rather than her looks or how strong her Quirk was. It was even more flattering to hear it from someone like Momo.

"I also apologize for criticizing you earlier," Momo continued, her words surprising the other girl. "It escaped me that it would actually have some significance. Which reminds me, was it all right for you to tell me such valuable information?"

"It's okay, I don't mind at all. I figured it's only fair to tell you the nature of my Quirk after finding out yours. You can call it a bargain. And besides, we're comrades working hard to reach a common goal in becoming heroes. It's only been our second day, but I would like for us to be able to trust each other, even just a little."

Momo returned her sentiments with a smile of her own, along with a halfhearted 'hmph'. "That's a little too much to ask concerning that we've just met, but I suppose you are right." She extended her right arm, offering her hand for a handshake.

Alumi was more than happy to oblige the friendly gesture. "Oh, before I forget, I have something to ask you, Momo-chan…"

"M-Momo-chan!?"

"Eh? But it's okay, right? We're partners after all. From now on, please call me 'Alumi'!"

Alumi was so giddy about it that Momo could practically see flowers floating around her. She also found it hard to refuse. But well, what was the harm?

A touch of pink sprinkled Momo's cheeks, relenting. She was also more concerned about what Alumi has to say than to care about formality as of the moment. "W-Well, I suppose..." She shakes her embarrassment away and regains her default business-like manner. "Anyway, what is it you wanted to ask?"

Alumi released her hand and shot an indicative glance at the steel-plated entrance, Momo following her line of sight. "I was wondering that by barricading the door and sealing us inside – with no way in or out – did you plan to avoid a confrontation?"

"That is correct," Momo replied as she turned and walked towards the door which is now halfway to being fully sealed. "I have no problems when it comes to combat, but since we both don't know what our opponent's Quirks are, I figured being on the defensive is a much effective strategy than facing them head on." She turns her head and casts Alumi a steady gaze. "Do you know how to engage in combat Ko–, umm, A-Alu…mi-san?"

"Well…" Alumi began, suppressing to giggle upon seeing Momo struggle in saying her name. How amused she was to learn that despite how stiff she seemed, Momo was actually a cute and timid girl who probably has a hard time getting close with others. Alumi felt a little surprised as well, because she used to be liked that. "Since this is an indoor battle, I can't use my Quirk against my opponents," Alumi continued. "But I can handle hand-to-hand combat if it's a one-on-one match. It also depends on what kind of Quirk they have."

"I thought so," Momo assented solemnly. "This is why I opted to avoid a one-on-one battle. If one of us left this room to ambush them, victory against the unknown poses a big risk, while at the same time its possibility of creating a 2 versus 1 scenario is high. Considering that you can't use your Quirk right now, we have the highest disadvantage than our opponents."

"Hmm, you're right." _'You've thought of this so far ahead, Momo-chan.'_ Alumi thought with a smile. Her gaze swept from Momo's steel barricade to the crystal encased weapon, her smile widening. "It seems like both our defensive strategies are right on track, then."

At that moment All Might's announcement resounded within the area. The combat training was about to begin.

"It's time." Momo set the last steel plate in place and turns to face Alumi with her hands akimbo. "We just need to focus on protecting the weapon for now. I reckon that we don't have to behave like actual villains in doing that."

Those words enlightened Alumi more than she was even aware of. With the tiny prickle in her consciousness fading away, she now felt a tinge of mischievous excitement.

Alumi lets out a low chuckle, her smile sliding into a smirk. "That's right. This is like a game, isn't it? It's not even about being a hero or being a villain anymore. It's a game to see the extent of our abilities."

Although Momo was a bit discomfited that the bluenette thought of this mock-battle as a mere game (as she herself doesn't take anything lightly), she does agree that this training was not a mere exhibition competition between who wins and who doesn't. A small smile graces her lips upon realizing this.

"I suppose you're right," Momo says before raising an eyebrow and giving her an amused look. "You raise your points in the weirdest way, Alumi-san."

Alumi grins and mirrors her expression. "I can say the same about you, Momo-chan."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Long A/N ahoy!**

 **SO, a lot went down in this chapter huh? Let's see…We got the battle trial down pat, a little bit of a Katsuki-Alumi encounter, a little bit of Alumi's past, the nature of Alumi's Quirk (it doesn't explain all of it but that's pretty much the major stuff) and…OH YES! The Alumi and Momo tandem! =D**

 **Lemme just share how much I was** _ **dying**_ **to write this moment. Momo has always been one of my fave characters. I just LOVE her. She's also the only one who I felt could elaborate on Alumi's Quirk given her intellect,** **so finally getting to work with her makes me feel very accomplished! ^^**

 **I hope my characterization of her wasn't** _ **too**_ **off the mark. What do you think? Tell me in the reviews! I know I said that reviews aren't required, but that doesn't mean you have to hold back. So send me them feedbacks! =D**

 **Now there are some things that I feel I should be clear about in this chapter:**

※ **On Alumi's account, while she is aware that this is was nothing more than training, she still felt frustrated about the fact that she wounded up as a villain. Though I assume that nobody in the class liked the idea of being the "bad guys" in this role-play battle, Alumi was still affected and unnerved by it because her brother was killed by one, resulting in her resenting the very idea ofvillains. She is easily triggered about the things concerning Haruki's death, no matter how much she tries to appear calm about it. But once she's got her bearings, Alumi's certainly up for a good game.**

※ **About Haruki's Quirk, it's called 'Free Life'. He can give a 'life' to non-living objects by manipulating their potential kinetic energy or its 'Inertia' and can make them move according to his commands. These things may lose their 'life' if he disperses his Quirk or if he stays away from them for too long. His name comes from the kanji (** **陽** **\- Haru** _ **)**_ **meaning "light, sun, male", and (** **生** **\- Ki) meaning "living".**

※ **You might be wondering about the chapter name. Why Boons & Banes, you ask? Well firstly, I reckon some of you might know what it means but for those who don't, Boon means the positive of something while Bane is the negative. And in this chapter (specifically the event itself A.K.A the Battle Trial) it possesses both aspects. The positive is that we finally got down to the nature of Alumi's Quirk while the negative is that Izuku was injured from the mock-battle, which distressed Alumi deeply. I've taken the liberty to explain this because there will be chapters in the future that will have the same anecdotal title. So if you see it again, you know what to expect ;)**

 **That aside, noticed that I kept the canon scenes at a minimum? I commend you!** **  
** **The reason is because I don't want to bore you guys with redundant scenes that you already read/saw from the series (I mean you did watch the Anime or read the Manga first before stumbling into this fanfiction right?) To be honest with you I find it quite annoying when an author drags a scene just because their OC's in it. I've encountered many fanfics like that during my time here and needless to say I skipped scenes like boss lol. I don't want to make my readers feel the way I did on having to read redundant scenes, so I kept them short. Ah, but don't hesitate to tell me if I have to put more details though~.**

 **Also from now on, I will be putting the posting dates below every chapter I update. No special reason, I just liked to be reminded of every step closer I take with this fanfiction. I actually contemplated on deleting this story, to tell you the truth. It was during the time I was so pressured I just literally sat in a corner doing nothing while listening to the little demons talk in my head.**

 **I confided in my sister about it and she encouraged me to continue writing (by telling me how much of a quitter I become when I start procrastinating). God I love her, bless her soul. So yes, I will be continuing this. Also the second season of the Anime is just around the corner, bringing back the fire of inspiration in my veins.**

 **Well I hope you enjoyed this. It's about time for some girl power action don'tchu think? We definitely gonna see more of that in the coming chapters! :D**

 **[Date Posted/Uploaded]: March 28, 2017.** **  
** **[Edited]: Fixed grammatical errors, added minor changes and a couple of phrases, and re-wrote some scenes.**


	7. Chapter 6: Team C versus Team G

**Happy April Fools everyone! That said, despite the long untiring tradition of pranking people on this lovely day, all that's about to go down in this chapter is serious business.**

 **But before that, I wanna inform you all that I'm finally done with making Alumi's costume~! I felt that words were not enough to fully describe the details, so I made a photo to do the talking. Kindly head over to my Deviantart account for a good eyeful!**

 **Also, the long wait is over folks, for THE SECOND SEASON IS FINALLY HEREEEE! PLUS ULTRA! *cue fireworks* It's still at Episode 0, but hey, it's the beginning of a brand new adventure. The Manga's great, but it's just not the same without the talented voice actors, agree?**

 **Special thanks and a rain of colorful confettis to:** **Diamond-Grl45** **,** **Reversus12** **, and** **Guest** **for reviewing~!**

 **And now without further ado, jumpstarting the chapter is none other than a favorite OTP of mine, the loveable Sound Electric duo!**

* * *

 **.**

 **〖** **Chapter Six** **〗**

 **Team C versus Team G**

* * *

"Man, this exercise really gets my gears goin'!" Kaminari eclaimed enthusiastically after he and his teammate infiltrated the building. "Isn't it cool that we get to be heroes? I've been waiting for something like this!"

"You're too loud, idiot," Jirou chides, eyes looking around warily. "They might find us."

"Whoops, sorry," Kaminari says before asking sotto voce. "Do you think they could be planning an ambush? This building's really huge. I wonder where they are…"

Kyouka casts a confounding glance at the spiky blond teen as she takes his statement into consideration.

"Hold on, I'll check." Kaminari turns to Kyouka who had walked over to the walls, her jack-like earlobes penetrating the cement. She closes her eyes, seeming to listen for an imperceptible sound. When it was done, she started to point upwards. "I hear movement right above us, on the 3rd floor."

"So that's where they are, eh?" Kaminari lifts a hand, a smirk forming on his face as a tangible static of electricity begins to crackle in between his fingers. "Don't worry. I'll handle it from here."

He started to walk a few steps away when Kyouka hauls him back with her words. She casts him an unimpressed look. "Hold it, dumbass. Are you sure you want to bust right in? We don't even know what they have in store for us."

"You're right," Kaminari replied with a dejected sigh. "We don't even know what their Quirks are…Oh, except Koseki-chan's."

A replay of yesterday's events flashed through their heads simultaneously, of how Alumi utilized her Quirk effectively in most of the tests, specifically that intense moment when she conjured a crystal barrier to protect Midoriya from Bakugou's sudden assault.

The two of them then looked at each other, knowing what that meant. Dealing with her was going to be a pain.

"No doubt Koseki's Quirk is strong." Jirou clicked her tongue. "We just had to be up against someone with a difficult Quirk."

"At least it wasn't Todoroki or Bakugou," Kaminari jokingly pointed out before adding, "Do you think you can handle her, Jirou-chan?"

"Don't call me that!" She snapped before regarding him in a much serious, pensive manner. "I can't tell," Kyouka admitted grimly, "but I can at least try and prevent her from using her Quirk. What about you? You can knock her out with your electric Quirk, right?"

Kaminari was struck with shock, finding the suggestion absurd. And she was really looking at him with this serious expecting expression (that would've been cute, he notes,) as if she was really expecting him to do it!

"I can't do that!" Kaminari sputtered in shock. "I don't wanna hurt Koseki-chan _or_ Yaoyorozu-chan with my electric Quirk. It's really painful if you get hit with it, you know!"

Kyouka frowns. "That's the point! And what do you mean _you can't_? Didn't you look all excited to use it earlier?"

"W-Well, yeah…but that was more of a spur-of-the-moment kinda thing," Kaminari admitted sheepishly. He didn't want Jirou to know that he did it just to show-off in front of her.

Kyouka shook her head before shooting him a decisive look. "Remember what All Might said? Treat our roles and this match seriously. You can't hesitate during a battle or the villains will take advantage of you." She crosses her arms. "It doesn't matter if our opponents are girls or not. The point is, be a man and don't hesitate to use your Quirk if the situation calls for it."

"That's easy for you to say, you're a girl," Kaminari muttered drily. But mentioning All Might and the fact that Jirou was right, Kaminari sighed in resignation. If push comes to shove, he'll have no choice but to comply with his partner's suggestion.

There's only one problem: Kaminari can't control the amount of electricity he can release.

Kyouka rolls her eyes at him as they resumed their trek within the hall. "The only thing that's bothering me now is Yaoyorozu. We have no idea what her Quirk is, and the fact that none of them came to attack us is really suspicious."

"Or," Kaminari began. "They could be waiting for us. I say let's head up there and get this thing started."

"That's exactly what's suspicious, you dumbass," Kyouka said tiredly before arching one of her brows at the blonde when he brought his fists together. "And I thought you're against hurting girls."

He shrugged. "Well I can't say that I'd hurt them. But thinking back on what you said, it'd be pretty stupid to go easy on them when they obviously don't plan to do the same."

Jirou gives him a disbelieving smile over her shoulder. _'Heh, what do you know. He's not as stupid as he looks after all.'_

Although Kaminari actually doesn't really intend to hurt their pretty classmates (not that he could even if he wanted to), hearing himself say those words sounded really cool. _'Besides, Jirou-chan doesn't need to know ~.'_

* * *

Momo had been on guard by the entrance the entire time when she picked up the sounds of footsteps approaching them.

"They're here."

Alumi perked up at her teammate's announcement. It had only been about two minutes since the match began, and now their opponents were right outside the door. "My, that was faster than I expected. Do you think one of them has a Quirk that allows them to detect a person's location?"

"Most likely," Momo replied with furrowed brows. "Well, even if they managed to find us, they can't enter this room easily."

"That's true…But Momo-chan, what if they somehow find a way to enter?"

It was a concern Alumi couldn't help adhering to. While she and Momo were confident in their defenses, their opponents – Jirou Kyouka and Kaminari Denki, weren't in Class 1-A for nothing. She knew it was wise not to underestimate any of her classmates, not even that short-stacked pervert Mineta.

Momo narrowed her eyes. She had already calculated that possibility, and although the possibility of them breaking through her impregnable barrier might seem slim, it wasn't a 100% guarantee.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips. "Then we have no other choice but to fight." Momo straightened her composure and casts Alumi the first fired up look the bluenette has ever seen on the raven haired girl's visage. "It still poses a high risk, but I will not hesitate as I do not intend to lose this exercise."

Alumi smiled. She couldn't have said it better herself. "Neither am I."

Giving her a nod, Momo pulled a steel bō staff from her leg and held it out to Alumi.

"Since you can't use your Quirk right now, I figured it's imperative to give you a weapon," Momo explained upon seeing her dumbfounded expression. "Just in case," she added for good measure.

Alumi blinked twice upon hearing the word "weapon". She took the staff and examined it quizzically.

"Do you know how to use it?" Momo asked.

"I've seen how it's done, but I've never really used something like this before," Alumi admitted.

Back at the dojo, her teacher never allowed them to touch any of the wooden staffs sitting placidly at a corner. _"The only weapon you'll ever need is your resolve. I'll only teach you how to protect yourself. The rest you have to learn in U.A."_ It was what her teacher had told her. And so, the only combat training Alumi ever received was limited to defensive techniques, mostly under the style of Aikido. In other words, she never used a weapon.

"It's quite easy," Momo replied as she created another bō staff, this time coming from her midriff. She started to make short but impressive moves with it, the steel rod making an audible 'Whoosh' as it sliced into the air. "There's a certain technique to it, but since we don't have enough time for me to teach you the basics, my only advice is to smash it into their faces."

"Goodness," Alumi exclaimed in shock even though she was grinning. "I'll be sure to remember that, Momo-chan."

 _'Although…Am I really going to need this?'_ Alumi looked at the bō staff. The cold and heavy metal felt foreign in her hands.

"Oh, and don't swing it too widely," Momo added. "Your opponent might use it as an opening against you. Also…"

Alumi amusedly listened to Momo's instructions. Who was the one who said they didn't have enough time for impromptu bōjutsu lessons again? Nevertheless, she was grateful for it. When Momo was finally satisfied, she turned towards the sealed door and narrowed her gleaming eyes, the footsteps now closer than ever.

"Now, we wait."

* * *

Kaminari and Jirou stood before the steel door of the villain team's hideout.

"So, what do you think we should choose? Make our presence known like All Might and 'SMASH!' right in, or be all sneaky like Edgeshot? Either way, we should make our entrance totally cool!"

An eye of Jirou's twitched. "Don't you ever run out of stupid ideas…? We're not even capable of doing _any_ of those things!" she half-snapped in a harsh whisper. "The villain's lair is finally right in front of us. Take this more seriously!"

The spiky blond boy deflated like a popped balloon. "I just thought it'd be cool if we did a hero-like entrance..."

Kyouka shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Just stay put and keep your voice down, got it?"

"Yes ma'am," Kaminari muttered dejectedly.

"Anyway, I don't think a direct approach will help us win," Jirou said as she turned towards the door. "We have to do this the stealthy way."

Kaminari's features lit up immediately. "Ooh! Since you're good at that, I'm leaving it to you!"

Kyouka shot him a withering glance over her shoulder before placing her hand against the smooth gleaming steel. _'It's too hard…I won't be able to pierce through.'_ She shifts her gaze to the concrete wall, extends one of her jack-like earlobes and promptly embedding it into the cement. There was no movement, as if the two girls inside opted to be still on purpose. It was so quiet, like nobody was there at all.

However, Kyouka caught the sound of them breathing. The subtle intake of air normally wouldn't be detected by a human's average hearing capacity, but due to the cement, it seemed to absorb and accumulate even the tiniest of vibrations within the enclosed room, spreading it within the wall, and further exploited by her Quirk.

 _'Strange…Why are they so quiet? Do they already kno—'_

Jirou froze when she suddenly heard someone talk. It was Alumi's voice.

"I wonder why they aren't attempting to enter yet…they're right outside, aren't they? I think I heard Kaminari-kun just now."

The purple haired girl's eyes widened in alarm. _'Busted! And is she seriously expecting us to walk right in!?'_

"They're being cautious, it seems." She heard Momo reply. "No matter. They will eventually find that their efforts to enter are futile."

Kyouka narrowed her eyes. _'And why exactly is it futile?'_

"How was it?" Kaminari asked the moment Jirou detached herself from the wall looking none too pleased. She gestured for him to back away from the door and to keep his voice down.

"They're in there alright, and they know that we already found them," Jirou answered, momentarily jerking her head purposely at the door. "From what I picked up, they're really comfortable with their defenses. It's like they made it that there's no way for us to enter."

"Really? Damn! So we can't enter through this door?" Kaminari asked as he scrutinized the said door with a suspicious glance.

"Obviously," Jirou said. "Yaoyorozu made it clear that we can't enter easily, so it's got to do something with the entrance. But that's fine since we aren't really planning to—OI WHAT'RE YOU DOING!?"

Kaminari had grabbed and pulled at the door's wide vertical handle halfway through Jirou's explanation. "Finding out whether we can really go in or not. Besides, they already know we're here right?"

Kyouka gaped at him with infuriated disbelief. "You're seriously going to face them head on?! Didn't I tell you that—"

They both froze as a loud clang resounded from the door when Kaminari pushed it forward. "Woah! They really did do something to the door!" He exclaimed as he gave the door another shove, his actions causing another 'Bang'.

"Cut it out, you idiot!" Jirou whispered angrily, and Kaminari complied with a pout.

"At least we found out that they really blocked the entrance," he reasoned weakly.

"That's not the point," Jirou rebutted as she smothered a palm over her face. "That was exactly what they expected us to do. If we're really going to try and bust right in, then we'd be playing right into their hands." She huffs and gives him a hard, pointed look. "Listen. The key is the element of surprise. We have to be discreet if we want to win. We need to find another way in, somewhere they least expect."

Kaminari responded with a solemn nod. "All right, I get it. But let me tell you that I'm really bad with all the delicate thinking stuff–"

 _'Gee, you don't say.'_ Kyouka thought drily.

"—so let's go with your idea! I'll support you no matter what."

He smiles at her with a thumb raised, and Kyouka regards his devil-may-care grin with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, if you're fine with anything…I already thought of one."

Kaminari answered with a nod. "Let's hear it."

Jirou walked away from the entrance and gestured for Kaminari to follow her near the stairs where they won't be heard. "What you did back there was stupid, but for one thing, it proves that they really did place some kind of barricade in there." A knowing smirk appeared on Kyouka's lips. "It's gonna work to our advantage."

"Eh, what do you mean?"

"Here's the plan, sparksfly. You stay here and distract them, while I go up there and try to see what's inside. I'll scout for another entryway or any possible route."

Kaminari gave her a dubious look. "Okay, but you're not going to confront them on your own, are you?" Then he bristled. "And it's Kaminari!"

"Of course not, it's too risky," Jirou replied as she started to ascend the stairs, completely ignoring the last bit. "I'll contact you once I've thought of our next move."

"Wait, how am I going to distract them?"

"Just do what you did with the door before. Make lots of noise, use your Quirk if you need to, but don't start until I say so," Jirou commanded over her shoulder.

"T-That's all?"

"That's all."

Kaminari started to sweat. _'Seriously? That's all I have to do? But then again, I really shouldn't be complaining…'_ He shot a quick glance at the door before pinning a determined look on Jirou's retreating back.

"All right, you can count on me!"

* * *

Two minutes later, Jirou was standing in the middle of the room of her intended destination which was precisely one floor above the villains' hideout. Lowering on her hunches with one knee on the floor, Jirou reached up to activate the mini walkie-talkie device in one of her ears and gave Kaminari the signal. Almost immediately, loud clashing sounds of steel hitting steel echoed and bounced from wall to wall within the building.

Kyouka instantly dug both of her plug-like earlobes into the floor after the first clamour of noise. With baited breath and eyes narrowed in concentration, she sent steady amounts of her own heartbeat to a specified point, careful not to amplify any more sound waves than what was needed.

The forceful surges of pressure broke parts of the floor, small chunks of cement already falling away as the tiny cracks began to reveal what's underneath. Kaminari was doing a good job with his relentless racket-making – operation 'Clang-n'-Bang' as he put it – that it was unlikely for the two unassuming girls to notice Kyouka's little construction work.

 _'Not when the whole building looks like it's going to collapse with all the noise he's doing.'_ She thought with grim satisfaction.

When it was complete, Kyouka paused to inspect the makeshift hole she created. It was too small to be used as a passageway, much less noticed, but it was large enough to peek into the room below.

' _Now, just what did you two do to the door…_ '

Only half of the room was visible from Kyouka's vantage point, but her eyes eventually locked unto their opponents' figures. Just as she expected, Momo and Alumi's attention were trained on the sealed entrance, the doorframe lined with stacks of plated steel. Her eyes widened. ' _So that's why it made such a loud noise when Kaminari pushed the door open. It's blocked with steel plating! Where did it come from? How did they even do it? It couldn't be Koseki, so it must be Yaoyorozu's Quirk that did it.'_

She peered closer and saw the crystal-encased faux weapon stationed a little farther from where she was. _'The nuclear weapon! It's covered in crystal?'_ But it wasn't completely covered. Jirou narrowed her eyes and stared at the exposed top. Then she slid her eyes back to the two girls holding their weapons. _'We just might have a chance at this. If we could just get inside…But how?'_

Jirou pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration and tried to come up with another strategy, but each passing thought only served to aggravate her more. No matter how hard she thought at the moment, none of the discreet approaches seemed to work. Even worse, the room didn't have any windows they could use. They were stuck in between a rock and a hard place. And time was running out.

"Damn it," Kyouka cursed beneath her breath before raising a hand to contact her partner. "Spark-hands, come in."

There was a short crackle of static before Kyouka heard his reply. She could barely hear his voice over the racket he was making. "It's Kaminari!" He whispered-screeched. "Anyway, I'm listening."

"Change of plans. Leave your post immediately and join me up here."

"Gotcha," came his reply and she could hear his hasty footsteps against the floor. "I'm guessing you already found a way in?"

Kyouka hardened her eyes into a determined look he couldn't see.

"Yeah. We're not going with the sneaky route anymore."

* * *

Momo and Alumi tensed in alarm as their opponents made their rather noisy and futile attempt at intrusion. But now it was suddenly silent. The last thing they heard outside was a rush of footsteps hurrying off somewhere.

Although Momo was relieved that her steel barrier wasn't breached, Alumi didn't miss the disappointed tone in her voice when she said, "They certainly give up early."

"They must have something else in mind," Alumi said as she scanned the room in placid apprehension. "I think they're trying to find another way in."

"I'd like to see that happen," Momo said. "We are fortunate to be stationed in a room with no windows, after all. So apart from the door I can't imagine how else they would–"

But Momo broke off abruptly when they heard a loud blast of ground-shaking vibration that shattered the ceiling not too far from them.

"–from above!?"

The two girls immediately leaped away from the falling debris and huddled near to the crystal-encased faux weapon. Momo narrowed her eyes and gave Alumi a speaking glance, _"Get ready!"_ Alumi nodded and together they moved into a defensive stance, their bō staffs poised and ready for any upcoming assault.

Not a second later the two distinguishable figures of Jirou and Kaminari landed in the middle of the gaping hole above them, creating a tangible wall of dust from the fallen cement that served as a smokescreen.

Jirou and Kaminari dashed out the instant they landed and the two girls tensed the moment they made eye-contact with their opponents across the room. The heroic pair looked bloodthirsty brandishing the white capture tape in their hands. Alumi and Momo moved back immediately when they saw one of Jirou's jack-like earlobes stretch toward her right boot. Alumi suddenly had a bad feeling about that.

With a quick skid, Jirou planted her right foot on the ground and sent the same ground-shaking sound wave towards them.

"Look out!" Momo yelled. The two immediately jumped out of the blast's range, breaking the defensive formation they formed when they separated to the opposite sides of the room.

Alumi thought Jirou only did it to break their formation when the blast ended up hitting the weapon. _'So that's your real intention.'_ She furrowed her brows in anticipation.

Everyone else paused and watched as the faux weapon quivered from the impact. To Alumi's relief the crystal didn't break, but she knew if Jirou were to try that again with double the force, there'd be a high chance her crystal barrier would crack. Not just the crystal but the entire room as well.

Alumi saw that realization dawn on the jack girl's eyes. They both knew what would happen if she uses that move again inside the small room they were in, not to mention the impact could possibly destroy the weapon itself.

Frustration flashed across Jirou's face. She moved into a stance, Kaminari doing the same behind her, and then promptly nodded to her partner. Kaminari nodded back with a smirk. Whatever the plan was, it became obvious when Jirou and Kaminari dashed forward and promptly separated into two directions – Kaminari going for Yaoyorozu, and Jirou charging straight for Alumi.

 _'Divide and conquer, huh.'_ Alumi masked her shock with a small smile. "My, that was certainly a bold entrance for a hero to make, breaking in through the ceiling like that," she commented pleasantly just as Jirou entered her range.

"What can I say? Flashy is the latest trend," Jirou retorted with a smirk as she took a swing at the bluenette.

Alumi evaded the attack with ease, but Jirou already anticipated that. She followed Alumi's momentum and struck with a swift roundhouse kick followed by another. Alumi's eyes widened. She swung to the side and fumbled with the bō staff – as if she was contemplating to use it or not – and was barely able to dodge the first one before hastily using her free arm to block the second. She grits her teeth as Jirou's foot connected with her forearm, the impact disrupting her balance. Jirou instantly used that second to deliver another roundhouse that landed square on Alumi's midriff.

Jirou leaped away before Alumi could counter attack. Her chest swelled with pride seeing the bluenette grunt and stumble a few feet away as she tried to recover from her blow. _'We just might have a shot at winning this if I keep the fast and hard tactic and prevent Koseki from using her Quirk. But it's weird…'_ Jirou furrowed her eyebrows, wondering why Alumi was using a weapon if she could've just used her Quirk to defend herself. She certainly looked tough with the bō staff, but it was obvious that she wasn't well-versed in it like Yaoyorozu was.

 _'Why isn't Koseki using her Quirk?'_

"You got me," Alumi commented suddenly. Jirou regained her stance and watched warily as Alumi forced a cough to relieve the painful pressure from her torso before breathing deeply and straightening her back. She sent the other girl an even stare, and it unnerved Jirou that Alumi was smiling. "You're really good with your legs, Jirou-chan."

Jirou frowned. "Aren't you going to use your Quirk on me, Koseki?"

"Are you sure you want me to do that?"

Jirou watched with narrowed eyes as Alumi walked in such a way that she was now circling Jirou. Then she stopped when she was directly in front of the faux weapon, approximately two meters behind her.

"You're running out of time, and all I have to do is keep you from touching the weapon. It doesn't matter whether I use my Quirk or not now, is there?"

Jirou clenched her teeth, hating the fact that Alumi was right. They probably only have four minutes left now.

Jirou darted her eyes from Alumi to the weapon, then back to the bluenette and lunged. Alumi intercepted the advance and the two continued on with Jirou pushing forward and Alumi responding accordingly. Even with her eyes to the prize, it didn't take long for Jirou to realize that Alumi never once attempted to go on the offensive during the whole exchange. She just kept on defending. She wasn't even trying to hit her with the bō staff, but rather using it to prod and corner her, like a cat would to its plaything.

"You're really starting to piss me off!" Jirou yelled. She saw an opening for another fast and hard attack and instantly did a quick side step. She lunged and spun in the air with a roundhouse.

Alumi blocked the attack with the bō staff, the shining steel rod suspending Kyouka's leg in mid-air. Jirou was about to attempt another back-to-back leg swing, but Alumi saw through her and was faster this time. With a quick side-step and a swing, Alumi managed to swipe the staff under Jirou's feet.

The short-haired girl landed on her butt with a grunt. She immediately rolled unto her feet only to freeze when Alumi brought the tip of the rod against her chin, the bluenette looking down on her with a friendly smile.

"You're fast and equally agile, but do the same trick twice and you'll become predictable."

Jirou clenched her teeth together. Suddenly Kaminari and Yaoyorozu entered their visual sphere, the spike-haired blond narrowly missing a swing to the head. He yelped and skidded over to where Jirou was.

With Alumi's eyes on the flitting spiky blond, Jirou instantly leaped away from Alumi's range just as Kaminari rushed up to the bluenette with a leg swing. It was more of a pathetic attempt to hit her, but it served its purpose of warding her off. Alumi leaped away and allowed the two to reconvene just as Momo came up beside her.

"Damn, they're tougher than I thought!" Kaminari mumbled to Jirou. "I know you said to split up and deal with Yaoyorozu, but you look like you need help over here," he said in a voice that only his partner can hear.

"You need it more than I do," Jirou shot back in a hiss as she noticed the bruise that was starting to form on his left cheek.

Kaminari grinned anxiously and grew frantic as their opponents closed in on them – Momo directly in front of him and Alumi in front of Jirou. With their bō staffs aimed and ready, the two faux villainesses had them cornered. Somehow the blunette's expectant smile frightened Kaminari more than Yaoyorozu's chilling stare.

He fretfully inched towards Jirou and whispered, "What now? We can't go for the weapon like this, we're surrounded." He pressed his back against Jirou's, the jack girl flinching upon contact but did not move away. The warmth of his broad back felt strangely comforting. It reminded her that she was not alone in this. Then she groused, "I know that, I'm thinking! Wait…" Jirou raised an accusatory brow. "You didn't use your Quirk on Yaoyorozu did you?"

Kaminari's response was a sheepish smile and a chuckle. Jirou rolled her eyes. Then her eyes widened slightly as she thought of a new plan.

"Well now's a good time to show off, sparky." Jirou whispered with a smirk.

"I told you! It's Ka-Mi-Na-Ri!" He bit out before giving her a dubious look. "Wait, what? You want me to use my Quirk? N-Now?"

"Just use it on my signal!"

"You shouldn't be talking in front of your opponents," Yaoyorozu admonished as she pulled a net from her thigh and stared hard at the two heroes. Jirou and Kaminari backed up on each other's backs instinctively.

"Only one minute left. Let's get this over with, shall we?" Alumi said, taking a step forward.

"It's over," Momo said.

Jirou's eyes darted from Momo to Alumi. "No...It's not!"

In a split-second Jirou looked like she was about to jump at the bluenette. Alumi tensed and prepared to defend herself in reflex, but Jirou suddenly halted and aimed a knee at her instead, expelling a forceful amount of her explosive heartbeat towards the other girl.

Eyes widening, Alumi's initial reaction was her foot digging into the ground and a hand about to fling upwards, but realized a beat later that it was pointless. Jirou's eyes flashed. Alumi wasn't able to dodge it.

"AGH!" Alumi cried. She pressed both hands to her ears and buckled, the bō staff hitting the ground at her feet. The sound wave hit her like a violent wind, piercing into her body like a thousand prickling vibrations.

Momo's face twisted in panic. "Alumi-san!"

But the bluenette could scarcely hear Momo calling out for her. It was a pain she's never felt before; a heavy, deafening throbbing that felt like something with sharp claws was squirming violently in her head and trying to crawl out of her earlobes.

"Now, Kaminari!" Jirou shouted just as Momo charged at them with the net at hand.

"Finally!" Grinning wide, Kaminari straightened into a stance and let a powerful ripple of lightning envelope his body. Momo froze. Kaminari shoved his right fist into his left palm and emitted an even greater amount of electric energy that crackled dangerously around him. "Sorry, but this is as far as you can go, Yaoyorozu!"

Momo clenched her teeth before hurling the net at them. The two immediately dispersed, causing Jirou to halt her sound wave assault aimed at the bluenette. Alumi dropped to the ground on her knees and wheezed, eyes fluttering and shaking her head as if to clear her ears of the painful ringing.

Jirou ran straight for the weapon just four feet away. Momo couldn't move to intercept her with Kaminari running in-front of her, acting as the high-voltage electric fence. Alumi was the closest to the weapon, but she was still unable to stand.

At that moment Jirou lunged for the exposed top of the weapon, and everything suddenly started to flow in a state of slow motion. Momo's look of alarm, Kaminari not letting her through, and Jirou's fingers only inches away from the faux weapon's gleaming surface…

' _It's over!'_ The three of them thought simultaneously.

A clang of metal hitting the ground. An impending presence rushing from behind.

Jirou slid her eyes to her left but all she saw were the tips of blue-colored hair flowing out of her view. All of a sudden the crystal covering the weapon melted and seemed to come to life as it lunged towards Jirou, slathering her and coiling around her body like a slithering crystal snake.

Jirou flailed against the molten crystal but then it started to harden just as she fell on the floor beside the weapon with a yelp. She clenched her teeth together and struggled to free herself but it was useless. Confusion and disbelief crossed her features. _'But how..?_ '

Jirou looked up, wide eyes darting from the now exposed weapon before settling on a breathless and trembling Alumi slumping on her side against it. She had a hand pressed on its surface, and it was then that realization hit Jirou.

Alumi lets out an inaudible sigh of relief. She looked at Jirou directly in the eye, and smiled.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Not sure how this turned out. Action scenes just ain't up my alley, but it's always a thrill to write them 'u' on the other hand, Jirou and Kaminari were so much fun to write! I had no trouble at all.**

 **And that's about it for this arc. Look forward to the conclusion of this match next chapter~!**

 **Now for your tidbit:**

※ **Edgeshot is a Pro-Hero introduced in chapter 88 in the Manga. He acts and dresses in true ninja fashion, which boosts his fame in the modern society. He also made a cameo appearance in Season 2's episode 1.**

※ **Bōjutsu** **– or** **"staff technique", is a martial art using staffs or long rods as weapons, referred to as a bō, meaning "staff".**

* * *

 **In response to the Guest Reviews:**

 **Guest** **:** Thank you for the warm welcome! I apologize for worrying you like that. I have resigned not to give up on this story, as long as I know that someone actually enjoys this huehue. And boy don't I agree with you about Kacchan. It's a pain in the ass, actually. I want Alumi to mess around with him but noooo because they both don't like each other. At least for now. Hihi.

* * *

 **Just a heads up guys: Since my summer classes are bound to start next week, I'm going to have my hands full with the enrollment stuff, so the next chapter will probably take long. But I swear it'll be out within this month.**

 **Until then I hope ya'll indulge your summer vacations. I wish I could do the same, but I already gambled my 2 months of vacation for MORE school. *facepalm***

 **See you all next chapter!**

 **[Date Posted/Uploaded]: April 1, 2017** **  
** **[Edited]: Added changes such as fight scenes, changed a few phrases and corrected grammatical errors.**


	8. Chapter 7: Gift for a Villainous Winner

**Hello, hellooo! It's the month of flowers, everybody! =D**

 **Firstly I am so, so sorry that I failed to update within the time table I set last month, partly because of a bad case of writer's block and some last minute changes, and everything to do with summer school ;-; but anyway, I'm glad I made it today!**

 **Just a heads up, but this chapter is like, extra long. So ya better get comfy ;D (Btw, I recommend that you read this in your phone, or better yet, read ALL your fave fanfictions in your phone. Head over to my profile if you want to know how to download it. It's just one click away dearie~)**

 **On a side note, have you guys already watched the 2nd season? It's freaking awesome! If you haven't watched it yet, you need ta' head over your favorite anime site and cliiiccckkkkk.**

 **Of course, special shoutout to the wonderful people who send me their love~:** **Reversus12** **,** **Diamond-Grl45** **,** **sydney3331** **, and** **ADarkWolfS** **!**

 **Also, LOTSA LOVE from me to those who faved/followed! And also to the silent readers~! Thank you so much! QuQ I hope you continue to support me through this crazy adventure!**

* * *

 **.**

 **〖** **Chapter Seven** **〗**

 **Gift for a Villainous Winner**

* * *

"Time's up!" All Might declared through the intercom just as the alarm sounded off. "The villain team…WINS!"

"That doesn't sound right somehow…" Kirishima said after All Might's announcement.

Alas, the fourth match finally reached its conclusion with the biggest surveillance screen featuring the figures of Momo and Alumi exchanging triumphant smiles.

"They're the first villain team to win so far, _kero_ ," Tsuyu commented.

"Only sexy villains like them could ever be allowed to win!" Mineta hollered with a puff of steam emitting from his nostrils. "As expected of my best girls!"

"Your best girls…?" Ojiro reiterated uneasily while All Might called the two teams back over the intercom.

"I should've expected as much. I mean, the villain's side both had tough Quirks, and Yaoyorozu was so badass with all the mind-over-matter stuff earlier," Sero pointed out.

"But Jirou-chan and Kaminari-kun did a good job too," Hagakure cut in. "They were able to find Yaoyorozu-chan and Koseki-chan in a short period of time, like how Shouji-kun and Todoroki-kun found our hideout."

"Yeah, but in the end, the villain team's defenses were too tight," Kirishima replied as they all directed their eyes on the surveillance screens again.

Momo sagged with relief while a dejected Kaminari dismissed his vivid electrical currents. On the other screen was Alumi lowering on her haunches beside Jirou with a hand reaching for the crystal. The hardened crystal melted with her touch, finally releasing the jack girl from its crystallized prison.

* * *

Jirou sat up with a grunt, her face flushed with defeat. She averted her face as Alumi stared at her with a contemplative gaze.

"Let's go, Alumi-san," Momo said. Alumi gave her teammate a nod and slowly stood up.

"Jirou?" Kaminari called.

"Yeah, yeah." Jirou groused and was about to stand when she saw a hand extending towards her, its owner offering her a small smile.

"Shall we go together?" Alumi said.

Jirou stared at her for a moment, then huffed out a smile. She took the hand and pulled herself up. The four of them formed a small group and started to make their way back to the others. It wasn't until they were out in the artificial streets of Ground Beta when Jirou broke the silence.

"Guess I should say congrats to you two or something," she said sheepishly.

"Thank you. You did a really good job too," Alumi replied. "What you did back there with your strategies really amazed me."

"I agree," Momo said as she faced the other two. "You found a creative way to break into our airtight defenses. That alone is quite the feat."

Kaminari grinned and blushed while Jirou's cheeks turned pink.

"However, there's one thing I want to know. Why did you make such a racket outside when you already know you can't get in?" Momo inquired.

"Ah, that's because it was a diversion. I had buzz-face here–" Kaminari bristled, "–do it. While he was doing that, I went to up to the floor directly above you and made a small hole in order to spy on you. Thanks to his racket-making, you didn't notice me doing just that," Jirou answered.

Kaminari grinned. "All according to plan."

Alumi and Momo shared a look of dawning realization. Then they exchanged a small satisfied smile at finally solving a mystery they were both mulling over.

"It is as you said. Momo-chan and I were too focused on what you might do next with all the racket you were making. Even when we already prepared a counter at the possibility of being breached, we were completely oblivious to the real reason behind the attempt of intrusion," Alumi said.

"And Kaminari-san, your Quirk really caught me by surprise, though I really should've taken a hint from your costume. Did you intend to use it as a last resort from the very start?" Momo asked.

"Er, sort of." Kaminari placed a hand behind his head and smiled sheepishly. "That reminds me, why didn't you hit me with that metal staff when I was blocking you?"

"That's because metals are electric conductors and I didn't want to get electrocuted," Momo explained. "If I so much as poked you with it, I daresay I'd be toast."

Jirou responded with a self-deprecating sigh. "In the end, we still lost."

"Don't be discouraged, Jirou-san," Momo began. "I doubt that the focal point of this exercise is based solely between victory and defeat. I believe that the real purpose of this activity was to gauge each of our abilities in a semi-realistic setting. What's important is that we were able to learn from this experience and adapt the importance of the match's context, the pros and cons by careful planning, and the advantage of studying one's environment. With deep reflection, you will be able to discern which counter-technique takes priority, and apply it to each your own strategies. As I've said before, in order to become splendid top heroes, we must––"

"–– _"Start with the basics to develop depth of learning, and devote ourselves with all our hearts."_ " Alumi finished in a matter-of-fact tone. She turned towards the surprised Momo and cheerfully chimed, "Right?" while the other two shrank away from the raven haired girl's relentless analytical speech.

Momo was still a bit surprised when she managed a short, "That's right." She eventually returned the bluenette's playful little smile. "Good job moving at the last second by the way. Using the staff to propel yourself was a good idea. You really surprised me."

Alumi's smile turned sheepish. The truth was, Alumi activated the other side of her Quirk to give herself an instantaneous boost of stamina when she saw Jirou lunge for the exposed top of the faux weapon. She merely used the staff to give herself more leverage and was really nothing more than a prop during that last second. But Momo didn't need to know that.

"I guess I was desperate," she replied sincerely and clenched her trembling fingers into a fist. Discreetly, Alumi let out a shaky exhale. She made sure not to overdo it like how she recklessly did during the ball throw yesterday, but using even a portion of it gave her a piercing headache.

On top of that, the after-effects of Jirou's piercing sound-wave attack still lingered uncomfortably on some parts of her body, specifically in her ears. She actually had to strain her ears to hear what her classmates were saying, but despite her still-recovering auditory nerves, Alumi was thankful that she managed not to faint.

A sudden pang of dizziness nearly made her stop in her tracks. Alumi blinked hard twice against the rising blur in her vision, and inhaled another deep breath.

"Hey, Koseki..."

Alumi almost flinched. She turned to look at Jirou expectantly. "Hm?"

Jirou was looking at her in a strange appraising way, and when she spoke, it was slow with hints of reluctance. "I just realized this, but you…When you said you wouldn't use your Quirk, it really pissed me off because I thought you were looking down on me. But rather than refusing to use it, you…You couldn't use your Quirk back there, can you?"

"Ehhh!?" Kaminari exclaimed in shock while Momo watched the scene unfold with worried eyes and quiet interest.

Alumi's eyes widened a fraction. Then she replied with a timid but still somehow dignified smile, "Yes, I can't."

Kaminari gaped at the bluenette. "What do you mean? You used it perfectly at the end!"

Alumi turned to him and explained in quick details the nature behind her crystallization. Kaminari and Jirou both looked astonished.

"Hmph. I kinda figured that it's something like that." Jirou smirked.

"So you can't use it indoors? That's some troublesome drawback," Kaminari said with a hand scratching at his spiky hair in distress.

"How did you find out, Jirou-chan?" Alumi asked.

"I got suspicious when you used a weapon," she started. "I mean, with a versatile Quirk like yours, what's the need for one? You're not even good at it like Yaoyorozu." Jirou deadpanned.

"Yes, it was a rather on-the-spot decision," Alumi admitted sheepishly.

Jirou regarded her more seriously this time. "But what really gave it away was when I used my Quirk. I saw how you were about to pull something, summon your crystals more like, but it didn't appear. So I thought, something is definitely wrong, but how else do you explain that crystal covering the weapon? That had me thinking that maybe you just couldn't use it in certain places or under certain conditions. But at the last minute, you were able to control that crystal despite stunning you with my Quirk, so something to do with the place has got to be it."

"Ohh…" Alumi uttered softly, impressed. "To be able to deduce that much, you're really amazing, Jirou-chan."

Jirou looked away from the compliment with a self-conscious, half-hearted huff. "I-It's nothing much. Don't mention it."

 _'Ah, how cute~.'_ The other three simultaneously thought.

"Wait a sec! Koseki-chan's allowed to call you 'Jirou-chan' but I can't!? I'm your partner!"

Jirou shot him a sour glance. "Yeah, so? Get over it already, buzz-face."

"For the last time, it's Kaminari! But you can call me Denki if you want~."

"You wish," Jirou retorted as Alumi and Momo giggled beside her.

"Denki..." Alumi began with a pondering finger to her chin. "That means 'electricity', doesn't it? What a very straightforward name you have, Kaminari-kun."

"We really should've taken a hint," Momo said wryly, earning an assenting chuckle from her teammate.

Kaminari smiled wide and bashfully began to rub at his nape. "Every one in my family had electric-type Quirks so my parents didn't have a hard time picking a name for me."

"Really?" Jirou piped up. "They really should've named you 'Tanraku' or somethin'. It's more fitting if you ask me," she deadpanned.

Kaminari turned to her with wide-eyes, and for a moment Alumi thought he was going to go off on how mean the jack girl was being when he surprised them all with a wide puppy-like grin.

"Ohh! 'Tenraku', huh. I like it! You mean 'cause my Quirk is just like lightning that falls from the heavens, right? That's actually so cool!"

The three girls exchanged a glance. Then Jirou began to snicker uncontrollably and tried to smother it with both her hands.

"O-oh my god..." she said in between hissy bouts of choked laughter. "What have I done?"

Kaminari pouted. "Eh, what's so funny?" he asked, which only made the girl snicker some more.

"Oh dear. I don't have the heart to tell him," Alumi said with a conflicted smile as she pressed her fingers against the side of her face.

"Neither do I," Momo replied.

And it wasn't until the four of them returned to the monitoring room did Kaminari know what it really meant.

* * *

A whistle goes off, signalling the end of the Battle Trial. All Might was quick to take his leave after a few commending remarks, and parted with the class with a cursory "Change and return…to the classroom!" before running off inside the school's main building.

The students of Class 1-A soon followed suit, waving off the trail of dust in the air that trailed after their instructor. The walk back to the locker rooms was fairly quiet at first as each of them contemplated the events that had transpired along with the things they had learned from it. All Might made it clear before that one of the main reasons of the Battle Trial was to demonstrate the extent of their skills. But to those who lost the match, feelings of frustration still lingered.

And out of every one in the class, Alumi was certain that no one was as frustrated as Bakugou.

Alumi couldn't help but notice that from the point of his defeat up to this moment, Katsuki remained at the back of the crowd. He was currently walking at a much slower pace than the rest of them, all the while maintaining his state of deadly silence. Everybody else kept their distance as well, not wanting to be near the brooding explosive teen and his menacing aura.

Alumi looked away and stared off into the distance, frowning at herself. She realized that her attention was deviating to the ash blond recently when she should've been more pre-occupied with the combat training exercises and the condition Izuku was in.

But still…

Something about Katsuki's inconsolable state struck a chord in her, making her momentarily forget that this mean arrogant young man was someone she should steer clear of, that at this moment he's nothing but a fragile mass of nerves on the inside. That he was also human.

Alumi was curious as to what might happen to him after experiencing defeat delivered to him by the person he resented the most, like waiting to see what kind of color a firework shows when it explodes.

 _'I wonder…will Bakugou-kun snap?'_ She threw a quick glance over her shoulder and looked straight at the ash blond's somber profile. _'He doesn't seem like the type to easily break down and crumble away, though…'_

* * *

It was late in the afternoon. At the conclusion of their last class period, Ochako and Alumi were tasked to return the workbooks they worked on earlier that day, the setting sun bathing the hallway in an ethereal orange glow as they walked back to the classroom.

"It's too bad Deku-kun missed out on our afternoon lessons. I wonder if he's okay, it's already so late…" Ochako said as she looked outside the scenery with a worried look.

"His injuries did look pretty bad, but he should be awake now," Alumi replied as she followed the brunette's line of sight. "I'm certain he's already recovered. He's with Recovery Girl, after all."

Sure enough, the boy was already up and ready to mingle by the time they reached the classroom. Izuku was currently surrounded by some of their classmates and it was clear that a round of friendly introductions were carried out.

"My, Mi-kun's popular already." Alumi chuckled amusedly while Ochako took off towards the curly haired boy, slightly surprised why he still looked worse for wear.

"Oh, uh, it's because of how much stamina I have, and…" Izuku explained. As he spoke, his eyes drifted off all over the place, stilling imperceptibly when he pinned his gaze on a specific direction.

Alumi also looked at the spot his eyes landed, and when she realized who it was he was looking for, she placed the stack of workbooks she was carrying over the nearest desk and moved to intervene.

"We're certainly glad to see that you're okay now, Mi-kun," Alumi cut in. She continued to smile nonchalantly as she brushed past the others, hand stretching out to grab Izuku's left wrist before pulling him gently with her outside. "Come, I'll fill you in on what happened while you were gone."

"E-Eh, wait, Alumi-san?!"

"You're coming with us too, Urara-chan," Alumi said over her shoulder.

"O-Oh, okay!"

The brunette immediately followed after putting her stack of workbook besides Alumi's stack while the others watched them leave with dumbfounded faces. Tsuyu was the only one who didn't look too surprised.

Sero was the first to recover. "Did Koseki-chan just call him 'Mi-kun'?"

Mineta practically fumed. "And he called her by her first name, too!"

"Oohh, they're on friendly terms!" Mina said giddily with a clap of her hands.

* * *

Alumi had led Izuku and Ochako by the window down the hall where she gave her speculation point-blank. "You want to know what happened to Bakugou-kun after your match, am I correct?"

The gravity manipulator gaped at her with surprise while Izuku only nodded guiltily in response.

"I'm assuming that you already know this, Mi-kun, but Bakugou-kun was really frustrated that he lost."

"Y-Yes, I know…Where is he?" He asked anxiously.

"He already left."

Izuku looked at her alertly.

"We tried to stop him," Ochako said, making the boy turn to her, "but he went home just now without saying anything."

Izuku clenched his teeth and curled his hand into a fist. "Kacchan is…he's definitely not the type to let a loss like that go. If I hadn't pushed him over the edge like that…" Izuku bit his lower lip in frustration before turning away and dashing off towards the stairs. "I have to talk to him!"

"Deku-kun!?"

Alumi placed a hand on Ochako's shoulder and shook her head. "I think it's better if we let him. Besides…" She turned and leaned towards the window, eyes fixed on the lone figure making his way out of the school, his ash-blond hair gleaming under the setting sun. "Bakugou-kun is still within the campus. Mi-kun can still catch up to him."

Ochako went up to the window beside her, eyes gleaming with worry. "But Bakugou-kun is still mad…I don't think it's a good idea for Deku-kun to approach him yet."

"You have a point…but I'm more interested on why Midoriya-kun is going out of his way to try and talk to him."

"I think it's because Deku-kun admires him," Ochako replied as she recalled what Izuku told her before their match started. "I don't understand why exactly, but whenever Bakugou-kun is concerned, Deku-kun is just…he's really serious, you know?"

Alumi's concerned look softened into a smile. "I know what you mean. They're both serious when it comes to each other, and it doesn't help that neither wants to lose. It really makes you curious."

"It's like a fated battle between men!"

Alumi chuckled. "Now that you put it that way, it sounds really cool huh?"

"Yeah!"

"Hey, hey! What's going on, where's Midori-kun?"

Alumi and Ochako turned to see their classmate Mina walking towards them with Tsuyu right behind her. Before the two girls could even answer, the pinkette already had her hands plastered against the glass window while Tsuyu settled beside Alumi.

"Ehhh? Why's Midori-kun over there with Bakugou? Isn't Bakugou still pissed at him?"

They all looked down and watched the confrontation between the two teens. They couldn't see Midoriya's expression with his back turned to them, but judging from Bakugou's enraged expressions, Midoriya's attempt at diplomacy clearly didn't work.

"Hey this looks bad! Bakugou's lashing out!"

Tsuyu leaned closer and lifted a hand to her mouth. "I don't think there's going to be a brawl, though, _kero_."

Bakugou finally turned around and left. It didn't escape Alumi that he lifted a forearm and pressed it to his eyes. Her eyes widened a fraction when she realized that he was so frustratingly angry to the point of shedding tears. And he wasn't afraid of showing it.

 _'He's more sensitive than I thought…'_ she thought, amazed. She kept herself from giggling out loud. He was just like a little kid after throwing a tantrum, almost too pure.

All Might suddenly arrived at the scene, but Bakugou only brushed him off and his efforts of consoling him. He eventually disappeared beyond the gates, leaving All Might and Izuku stunned in place.

Mina reeled back with a sigh of relief. "Phew, good thing All Might arrived. What was that even about?"

"It's the fated battle between men!" Ochako gushed and pressed her forehead against the glass.

"But it looked like Midoriya-chan was giving up excuses one-sidedly, though," Tsuyu said sagely.

"Really?" Alumi commented. "It seemed to me that Midoriya-kun really wanted Bakugou-kun to understand something. More than anyone…"

Tsuyu turned her gaze to her, but Alumi didn't seem to notice. Bakugou's connection to Izuku. That was what Alumi found to be the most intriguing.

Mina let out a sigh. "It's really too bad we can't hear what they're saying, it's just like that time at the combat training. They're all fired up and we can't hear a thing! _Mou_ , I want to knooowww!"

"The fated battle between men!"

"I think it's about time we go back inside," Alumi suggested. "Class is over for today, after all. It's time to go home."

Ochako nodded while Mina detached herself from the window. "You're right…" Mina muttered dejectedly before going over to Alumi with a bounce in her step. "Ne, I don't think we've been properly introduced, though I already know who you are, Alumin! You know, with your bold introduction yesterday and all…Oh, is it okay if I call you that? I'm Ashido Mina by the way, just call me Mina!"

Alumi almost wavered by Mina's barrage of excitement. Something about the girl's lively aura reminded her of a certain childhood friend, which, Alumi just remembered, she totally forgot to inform that her classes already started at U.A.

Making a mental note to call her later and finally recalling the present, Alumi gave the pinkette one of her brightest smiles. "I don't mind at all! It's very nice to meet you, Mina-chan."

"Same here!" Mina replied with a wide grin before bounding off into the room. "I'll see you girls tomorrow~!"

"Ah, the workbooks!" Ochako squeaked, remembering the work they left before immediately following after Mina's trail.

Alumi was about to follow when she noticed their frog-like classmate rooted in place and staring out the window.

"Asui-chan? Is something the matter?"

The green-haired girl turned to face her and Alumi was struck with Tsuyu's penetrative gaze. "Tsuyu," she said, her raspy voice was similar to a frog's croak. "Call me Tsu."

Alumi liked her already. "Tsu-chan it is. But to be fair, you can call me by my first name as well."

The corners Tsuyu's mouth curled upward, almost like a smile. "All right, Alumi-chan."

Alumi wanted to tell her that they should be heading back to the room, but the frog girl only continued to stare. She seemed to want to ask something. Alumi accommodatingly tilted her head forward a little.

Tsuyu was silent for few moments. Then, "I can't help but ask Alumi-chan, but what is your relationship to Midoriya-chan?"

Alumi blinked twice, her eyes widening a fraction. She certainly did not expect such a question. "My relationship with Midoriya-kun…?" She repeated, a semblance of a nervous laugh accompanying her incredulous statement. "Well, we're friends."

Tsuyu tilted her head to the side, looking unconvinced. "Yes, but it seems to be more than that. I can see that you're really looking out for him, like when you protected him from Bakugou-chan yesterday. The whole class was surprised, _kero_."

Alumi retained her calm composure with a small smile on her face, but in the inside, her heart raced. She never thought to be confronted with what happened even though she could just imagine what her classmates might think of her. Why would a stranger like her react so strongly towards a stranger like him?

Alumi had to hand it to her, though. Tsuyu's perception was like a sharp, finely tempered sword that was both impressive and dangerous. However, it was her unblinking eyes that Alumi found unnerving. They were of a moss green color, deep and emotionless like a placid lukewarm pond that gave off the impression of a beast living underneath its murky waters, waiting to reveal itself and snap its jaws into its unassuming prey...

Alumi replied with the first thing that came to mind. "That time, I felt that Midoriya-kun was in danger, so I did what I thought was right. Wouldn't you do the same?"

Tsuyu finally blinked. "Maybe, if we weren't training to be top heroes. But still, I don't know him that well enough, which is why it got me curious, _kero_." The frog girl tapped a finger to her chin and Alumi find it hard to look away. She also found it hard to lie. Faced with the unsettling resolution of Tsuyu's gaze, Alumi relented, the corners of her smile wavering.

"Midoriya-kun simply reminded me of someone," she began. "To be honest, I did not expect it either. I honestly have no idea what I was doing until I saw just what exactly I was doing. Perhaps you could say my body moved on its own when I saw him about to be attacked."

"Because he reminded you of someone?"

"Yes."

Tsuyu hummed and averted her gaze, her eyes turning thoughtful as she tapped on her chin. She wanted to ask more questions, _"Who is this someone?"_ , but decided against it. She would ask her in the future, but not now, not here.

"I like you, Alumi-chan," she says suddenly, surprising the bluenette. "I hope my prying questions didn't offend you, _kero_."

"Not at all!" Alumi was quick to reassure her. She would never resent anyone who would ask in concern, especially if it was her impulsive actions that made people ask in the first place. "I'm actually very happy that you talked to me, Tsu-chan. Let's get along from now 'till onwards."

The frog girl smiled slightly, seemingly relieved. Alumi turns toward the door. "Shall we return?" Tsuyu nodded her response.

* * *

"So that's what happened?" Izuku asked enthusiastically when Alumi told him what happened during their match. This time again inside the train, they were both seated on the side. As a proper train buddy, Alumi made sure that Izuku wouldn't be squished in the crowd while they were in the train station since he was still pretty much beat up and had his right arm in a cast.

Still glowing with pride for a job well done, Alumi nodded and said, "Kaminari-kun and Jirou-chan did well. I half-expected they'd be able to break into the room, and they did. I'm glad I didn't underestimate those two. It was a really close call."

Izuku's eyes shone of obvious admiration. Alumi could practically see him trying to imagine how it all went down.

"So, Jirou-san with her Quirk, while it doesn't really stand out, managed to penetrate through cement, right?" Izuku gushed.

"Yes. I was really surprised," Alumi answered, remembering how baffled she was seeing Jirou break through the walls, especially after finding out that she used nothing but her jack-like earlobes.

"And Kaminari-san's electric Quirk that intimidated Yaoyorozu-san, that's so cool!"

"Un, it was pretty scary up close. I'm pretty sure we would've lost if Kaminari-san had used his Quirk sooner. I could just imagine him using that to retrieve the weapon. When Jirou-chan's sound-wave hit the weapon's crystal case, it really frightened me. But Kaminari-kun's Quirk was even more frightening."

Izuku's expression turned pensive. "Ah, but, I don't think so..." Izuku commented casually, earning a very intent and curious stare from the blue haired girl. His face turns red and he nervously starts to wave his uninjured hand. "I-I-I mean! What I m-mean to s-say is-!"

"Calm down, Mi-kun. It's all right. Tell me, why's that?" Alumi asked gently.

"I-I was just thinking that, well…Ko-, I mean, A-Alumi-san, your crystals come from u-underground, so that means they're authentic, right?" She nods, eyes expectant. "And, w-well, authentic crystals are natural insulators, I think. So even if Kaminari-kun used his electric Quirk, I don't think his Quirk would be effective against your crystal barrier."

Alumi stared at him with wonder. "Is that so? I didn't know…" she uttered with astonishment. "It's amazing that you know that, Mi-kun."

Izuku flushed. "I-It's nothing special! I-It's just something I happened to read about, t-that's all!"

Alumi giggled and concludes with an amused smile. "Everyone in our class have really interesting Quirks, huh?"

That calmed him down and he nods. "U-Un. I wish I saw everybody in action..." Izuku muttered with a sigh.

"I'm sure that there will be plenty of opportunities in the future, Mi-kun."

"Yeah. I'm forward to it," Midoriya replied with a quick bob of his head, all fired up. Then he turns away from her, rests his left hand on his injured forearm and looks down on it, inspecting, remembering...His gaze suddenly looked so far away, and Alumi knew he was thinking deeply about something. She had a pretty good idea of what it could be.

The train continues to run along the railway, the low drone of the engine making the silence between them profound.

Alumi purses her lips and puts her hands together. The longer she watches him, the more her tongue itched to say the words she's been yearning to say.

"Mi-kun?" she utters before she could even stop herself.

The curly haired boy blinks out from his reverie and looks up to her with an expectant look.

"I couldn't help but notice…but what is going on between you and Bakugou-kun?"

"E-Eh? Me and Kacchan?" Izuku echoed, his eyes widening like a child caught with the cookie jar. "W-What makes you think that?"

"It's just something I wanted to know." Alumi averted her eyes away from his as she gathered her thoughts. "To tell you the truth…I've been meaning to ask what your relationship with Bakugou-kun is since yesterday. From the moment he tried to hurt you during the assessment test and now during the combat exercise... It's clear that Bakugou-kun is out to get you." Izuku gulps and nods ruefully. "I know it's incredibly nosy of me, but I want to know the reason why. From the way he's acting and the way you seem to accept it, you two must have some sort of history, don't you, Mi-kun?"

As she stared at him waiting for an answer, Alumi could see a slight tension settling on Izuku's shoulders. When he turned to look at her, Alumi saw glimpses of sadness in his round emerald eyes. But the same time, he was smiling subtly, showing the strength of someone who has long since recovered from a painful past.

Izuku opened his mouth and said simply, "Kacchan and I know each other since we were kids."

It had been the kind of answer that Alumi was waiting for. And just like that, the missing fragments of the puzzle she created in her head fell into place.

* * *

"I'm home," Alumi announced as she closed the door. The house was tranquil with inactivity. "I wonder where Otou-san is…?" she mused aloud as she made her way upstairs.

It wasn't until Alumi finished making supper that she heard the front door open, her father calling out to her followed by a soft thump. It sounded like something was discarded on the front desk.

"Welcome home, Otou-san," Alumi greeted happily as soon as Hiromu made his appearance in the kitchen. "You're just in time for dinner."

"What a relief," Hiromu replied with a grin as he made his way to the table, his eyes softening. "I'm glad to see you're back home safely, Alu. I'm sorry I didn't contact you that I'd be home late. My client called earlier and I have to be back on the site tomorrow, so I decided to take a quick trip to Fujiyoshida and visit your grandma and grandpa."

Alumi paused and looked up from setting the table, the initial feelings of sadness that her father was off to work again – that she was going to be alone in the house again – replaced with surprise, her eyes lighting up excitedly. "Jii-chan and Obaa-chan? That's wonderful, Otou-san! How are they? I haven't seen them since Christmas."

"They're as healthy as ever, running the shop like they're still in their 30's," Hiromu replied with a chuckle.

Alumi giggled. "As expected of Jii-chan and Obaa-chan, they almost never seem to tire." Her father agreed with a hearty chuckle and Alumi grinned when she saw his _Ahoge_ perk up.

"They also look like they hadn't aged a day. I feel older than they are sometimes…" Hiromu lifts a hand to his nape and sighs.

Alumi laughs softly at her father's half-hearted quip, though she detected the truth behind it. He barely had any real rest these days. Even on his day-offs, Hiromu always had his hands full with drawing sketches and drafts, sorting though reports, entertaining calls and checking up on the current project his company was handling.

Granted, Hiromu Koseki was a brilliant and hardworking man who became the CEO at Japan's number one real estate regency at the age of twenty-nine. It was around that time of his life when he met then actress Azayaka Reika during a joint project with his company and her set. It was no "Love at First Sight", but they eventually became a tandem that led them in front of the altar. It was a love match that was waiting to happen, and Hiromu was without a doubt a wonderful husband, and an even doting father. To Alumi, he would always be the number one hero in her life. He had always been there for her, and she had always admired the traits her father possessed.

Hiromu carried himself with elegance, handled problems with remarkable patience and viewed life with enthusiasm and drive, like every day was a new adventure waiting to be discovered. He was the kind of adult that Alumi aspired to be, a steady supporting presence that anyone could lean on with his kind and straight-forward gaze that could put just about everyone at ease.

And that was why, it pained her to see his bright coffee colored eyes – a shade darker than Haruki's – now looking hollow and weary. The pressure and demand that came with his profession was taking its toll on him. He had been working harder than usual, longer than his actual time frame, and going further away from their home. And Alumi knew exactly when it started.

It began after Haruki died. That tragic occurrence from six years ago sent their world crashing down. Even if they had recovered, things never stayed the same, and the changes that followed were drastic. Hiromu had resigned his position as CEO, and even her mother who was an icon in show business, quit acting altogether. Still, because of their deep-seated passion for their respective careers, they both retained the majority of what was left, knowing that it was the only way to move forward.

Alumi had come to learn that each of them had their own way of coping with Haruki's death, each with their own _distraction_. Her father with his company, her mother with her production agency, and finally Alumi with her hero studies.

Those who knew them and their story commended their strength as a family. It was a family talent, she supposes, that they were capable of keeping up a front that nothing was wrong, that everything was going smoothly, when in truth they were nothing more than a four-pegged table desperately trying to function despite having one of its legs cut off.

They ran the whole thing like it was a show. It was to be expected, after all. Her mother was a natural born actress, her father had always possessed that elegant unwavering composure, and Alumi? Well, you could say she only learned from the best, _taught_ and _shown_ how to act.

 _"Never forget, Alu, that appearance is everything. An actress' smile is both her weapon and her shield. But even if you're not an actress, you must answer whatever hardship you face with a smile. No matter how painful it is, hide it away where no one can see. So smile...smile to save yourself."_

It was the only advice she's ever received from her mother, a creed that Alumi kept close to her heart. She sighed softly, almost surprised to find that she's been looking at the floor the entire time.

Alumi looked up and saw her father do the same. They froze and just stared at each other in silence like a pair of deers caught in the headlights. She instantly realized that they both fell into a reverie at the same time, that they were both mulling over the events that led them today.

Hiromu started to smile, his eyes understanding and slightly glassy. He placed a hand on top of her head in an affectionate caress.

"How was your second day at U.A?" he asked after a while.

Alumi looked up with a smile. "Wonderful. I get to be a villain today."

"Oh? That sounds interesting." And they discussed it at length during the meal, with Hiromu letting out a laugh or two as Alumi relayed the experience.

"Only the second day and they already have you kids doing some pretty thrilling stuff," Hiromu commented. "First the Quirk assessment test yesterday – with a threat of expulsion no less – and now a person-to-person battle?" He shook his head in disbelief.

Alumi began to feel nervous, hoping that he wasn't starting to think that sending her to U.A was a bad idea.

Hiromu surprised her when he suddenly began to laugh. "U.A really is something. Nedzu-san sure is doing a fine job keeping it that way."

Alumi curiously tilted her head. _'Nedzu-san…?'_

"That reminds me, Alu, but I have something for you." Hiromu momentarily detached himself from the table and disappeared into the hall. When he returned, he placed a blue colored paper bag on the table and smiled into Alumi's half-confused, half-intrigued expression. "It's from your grandmother."

"From Obaa-chan?" Alumi waited eagerly as Hiromu reached into the bag and pulled out a small red-colored velvet box.

"Now it's been months, but she and your Jii-chan send their congratulations for getting into U.A, and mother…she wanted you to have this."

Alumi tentatively took the box from her father's hands. She stared at it for a moment before finally opening it. She let out a light but audible gasp, a hand coming to her mouth. Inside the small velvet box were the most beautiful crystal earrings she had ever seen. The crystals were of a tetragonal shape and tinted in a light cerulean color. It was an inch and a half in size, attached to and suspended by small golden hoops, the kanji for their family name engraved on the gold's shining surface. It was definitely one of her grandmother's creations, and that's when it struck her of what they were made of.

Alumi looked up to her father with wide eyes. "Otou-san…t-this is…!"

"That's right." Hiromu nodded with a knowing smile. "They were made from your grandmother's tears. _Happy_ tears," he assured when he saw her expression waver. "She was glad that you were able to reach this far. These are your Obaa-chan's feelings."

Alumi glanced down and ran a careful finger over the shining crystals. Strangely enough, the crystals were warm, like they contained an undying flame inside.

 _'These are…Obaa-chan's feelings…'_

Alumi closed her eyes as she felt them, recalling a certain memory from long ago…

* * *

 _"I've decided, Obaa-chan! I…I'm going to be a Hero!"_

 _A skeptical smile had touched Obaa-chan's lips then. "A Hero? Are you sure that's what you want, Alu-chan?"_

 _"I'm certain," eleven year old Alumi affirmed with a dignified nod. "I'm going to become a Hero that saves people, so that they may never have to lose someone precious."_

 _Obaa-chan's eyes softened, her pretty wrinkled smile morphing into a loving one. "That's wonderful, dear. Then Obaa-chan will support you. We've never had a Hero in our family before, but I believe that you will start your own legacy. Obaa-chan will wait for that. And don't forget, Alu-chan, that we of the Koseki family, those who have their eyes set upon the crystal path, we are clear and unbreakable. May you become that kind of Hero."_

 _Obaa-chan went to pat her on the head then, and Alumi beams with the dulled light in her eyes._

 _"Yes, I will do my best!"_

* * *

"Beautiful, aren't they?" She heard her father say softly.

"They are…" she replied with a soft smile, her eyes glistening with gratitude.

"A fitting gift for a villainous winner, don't you think?"

Alumi looks up with a laugh. "Yes, it has a nice ring to it. But…" She looked down on the crystal earrings again, smiling widely. "With these, I'm officially a Crystal Heroine now."

"The very first in our family," Hiromu added with a proud grin.

Alumi's wide smile diminished slowly. Her grip on the box tightening just as the crystal prisms glittered under the light.

 _'Chigauyo, Otou-san.'_ Was what she wanted to say but kept her mouth shut instead. _'Because if Haru was still here…He's the one who's going to be the Hero in this family. Not me…'_

* * *

 _ **Sawatte mite yo, kono kokoro wa ima~**_

 _(Go ahead and touch, this heart of mine~)_

 _ **Katte ni koi wo shite…Katte ni kizutsuiteru!**_

 _(That went off and fell in love…that went off and got itself hurt!)_

 _ **Sawaranaide yo, kono omoi kanawanai no naraaa…~**_

 _(Don't you dare touch me, if this love can never workkk…~)_

 _ **Massao na aza…mune no naka nokoru dake de~~**_

 _(Then I'll simply end…with a deep blue bruise in my heart~~)_

Although she was getting concerned why her childhood friend took longer than usual to answer the phone, Alumi giggled amusedly when she heard the answering ringtone.

 _'This song is very…_ un _-Chi-chan like.'_ She gasped when a sudden revelation popped into her head. _'Chi-chan is not in-love, is she?'_

Just when the chorus ended and the song was about to start another verse, the phone picked up and a breathless "Hello!? Micchan, is that you!?" gasped out.

 _'Aww,_ zannen _. And I was beginning to enjoy it, too.'_

"The one and only~!" Alumi sang.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry for answering just now! Jii-san's being a pain, and, ugghhh." She groaned and sounded like she was smothering a hand over her face. Alumi could only guess that she was embarrassed since she heard the ringtone.

"Don't worry about it, Chi-chan. It's my timing that's pretty late, after all. Oh, but do greet Matsu-sensei for me."

"Yeah, yeah I'll be sure to tell the old man tomorrow since he's already up in his room. I just put in one of his psychedelic old-people music and you _know_ how it is."

Alumi laughed. "Glad to know that Matsu-sensei's still kicking it."

"Oh he's kicking it all right!"

"Your butt…?" Alumi couldn't resist saying.

"…"

"…"

"Che."

Alumi laughed.

"Nevermind that, how long has it been since you called? And it's been about a month and a half since your last visit, y'know! No, wait, don't answer, I'm just glad I get to talk to you right now." Alumi smiled with relief as she heard the smile in the other girl's voice. "I'm partly guilty too, anyway, and it's not like I don't understand. The Hero Course is really tough, huh?"

"It's just the beginning, but it proves to be very exciting."

"Good for you. Which reminds me, how're you holdin' up on your second day? Bet you already flaunted that Quirk of yours~."

"Hm? How did you know it's already the second day?"

"Micchan, we're talking about the number one school for heroes in the _Japan_ here. 'Course the media won't lag behind! Especially now that All Might works as a teacher there. People can't stop talking about it."

"Oh, you're right. The news was quite shocking, All Might-san as an educator and all…"

"Yeah," Chi-chan agreed grimly. "It really makes you think that there's gotta be some significant reason behind it."

Alumi didn't miss the serious lilt in Chi-chan's tone. It wasn't the first time that she was impressed with her best friend's perception. At first glance, many may pass off Chihari Tsukiyama as your average loud and carefree _Haafu_ tomboy with her short, boy-cut styled caramel brown hair and haughty blue eyes. Nobody would've guessed that she actually possesses an analytical keen mind and is capable of sound reasoning underneath her brazen exterior.

That was one of the things that Alumi liked about her which was more or less similar to her own perceptive trait. But while Alumi was sharp in an inquisitive and probing way, Chihari's curiosity was tight-laced with aggressive query. She has always been wary of anything and anyone, always suspicious of people's actions, always questioning why this happened or why people do what they do, always trying to discover their intentions. Alumi couldn't really blame her, she knew that it was the result of Chihari's own unpleasant past.

Unpleasant past experiences really had a way of doing that to people. That even if one tries to change and forget, some bitter remnants will always stick no matter what, turning into scars that slowly eat away at an individual's psychological foundations.

"But man, you sure are lucky!" Chihari quipped suddenly. "You get to be a student during All Might's first year as a teacher. I bet you already caught a glimpse of him once or twice already!"

"I believe it's more than just a glimpse, Chi-chan. I finally saw All Might-san in person today, since he's our teacher in Hero Basic Training."

"Woah, HOLD UP! All Might teaches at your class!?"

"Uh-huh~!" Alumi chimed, enjoying the other girl's reaction.

"I'm so jealous! You basically got a good eyeful of him!"

"Even though it's you who never misses an episode of his talk show in the past…?"

"But it's different when you see him in person!" Chihari whined.

"I suppose. All Might-san is definitely much dashing in person," Alumi mused aloud.

"Can you get his autograph for me? Pleaasseeee?"

"Okay, I'll try tomorrow."

"Awesome! And after you have it, just give it to Hei-kun. I already gave him a head's up."

"Hei-kun?" Alumi actually cocked her head to the side even though Chihari couldn't see her. There was only one person that Chihari calls that. If she's not mistaken, then Chihari could only mean _that person_.

"What? Alumi…" Alumi winces a little. Chihari never calls her that unless some serious stuff was about to go down. "You _already_ forgot about _Hei-kun_?"

"Ah, no, it's just—"

"Ramiro Kyouhei. He's my _Haafu_ cousin," Chihari interjected hotly. "You met him like...around the time you were thirteen years old during his first visit to Japan. You know, he's dark-skinned, has two creepy and bratty white snakes on his shoulders for a Quirk, half-Portuguese with silver eyes? Ring a bell? My _God_ , Micchan! It's only been two years! He even left us a farewell message that said he'd **–** "

"Of course I remember Kyou-kun, I haven't forgotten about him one bit!"

Seven seconds of silence. "Oh…then you should've said that earlier."

Alumi repressed the urge to sigh. "I was _about to_ , but then you suddenly went and turned into a spit-fire. What I meant to say was that I'm _surprised_ to hear that Kyou-kun is already here in Japan. And from what you said just now, it sounds like he's in U.A."

"I knew you'd catch on quick," Chihari sounded pleased. "I already told him to come talk to you tomorrow so I'm gonna leave the explanations to him."

"Oh, that's nice…" Alumi managed to get out before Chihari went on with her unstoppable train of words again.

"Really," she huffed, "I know it's only been the second day and all, but I still can't believe you guys didn't bump into each other. I mean, your classroom is literally right next to his!"

 _'Right next to our class...?'_ Alumi's eyes widened. "Chi-chan, you mean Kyou-kun is...?"

A hint of a chuckle riddled Chihari's reply, "Yeah. He's in Class 1-B. Surprise~!"

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Decided to kick my 3000-plus word limit ya'll! Though I already kicked that quota a loooong time ago. So from here on out it's going to be all long chapters** (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

 **So imma just share that my absolute favorite part in this chapter was writing Kaminari and Jirou. I wanted to give them more screen time because I really love these two adorkable mofos, and I wanted to elaborate on the beginning of this magnificent ship by touching on Jirou's sarcastic punk-gal vibe and Kaminari's hilarious tendency to completely misread her wisecracks (Remember Jamming-Whey? That was actually my basis for the whole Tanraku/Tenraku business, my way of paying homage to that beautifully hilarious moment of Jirou showing her teasing side for the first time in the series lol). These two were really fairly easy and immensely fun to write. I confess, something about these two just channels the inner dork in me, maybe that's why** ┐(￣∀￣)┌

 **Aaaannnd the childhood friend finally appears (via phonecall! =D)! There's two of them actually, and they hold the keys to Alumi's past, practically because they were part of it. We'll get to know who 'Hei-kun' is at length next chapter, and although Chi-Chan is not a Hero Aspirant like the two, we'll definitely get to see more of her in the future.**

 **Tidbits time~!**

※ **Fujiyoshida is a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture. It's Alumi's hometown where she was born.**

※ **The Japanese lyrics that you passed by, A.K.A Chi-chan's answering ringtone or ringback, as we call in our country, is from Koiji Romanesque performed by The Zetsubo Girls from the Anime Zoku Sayonara Zetsubo-Sensei. I HIGHLY recommend that you listen to it. Then after that you can watch the Anime if you're up for some hilarious nonsensical shit. It's worth it I tell ya!**

※ **Here's a little bit of My Language Academia used in this chapter for you:**

 ** _Tanraku_ – directly translates into Short circuit and is homophounous to 'Tenraku', which means 'Falling', hence why Jamming-Whey back there mistook it as a reference to an actual lightning bolt, haha! Also, another interesting thing to note about this particular word (something I discovered as I was researching and affirming it) is that Tenraku, written in the Kanji (短絡) can actually be used as a noun (or _suru verb_ ) among the Japanese which is used to call someone who either does any of these three (or all of them lol): draws a hasty inference between two events; jumping to a quick conclusion; and dealing with matters quickly and carelessly. Now that certainly rings a bell about a certain someone riiiight~? *looks at Kaminari* But aye! He's getting better and I'm so proud of this baby boy~.**

 ** _Chigauyo_ – a quick variant of "That's not it." It could also be another variant for "No."**  
 ** _Zannen_ – "Too bad."**  
 ** _Haafu_ – practically slang for 'Half-blooded'.**

 **Extra notice: I decided to change the name of Alumi's mother, which was originally 'Michiko' to 'Reika' because the meaning and the kanji of the second name is much closer to her yet to be revealed Quirk. Also, the past chapters of this fanfic has undergone some revision. By reading the whole story up to this update, there were moments where I was like "This part's too bland. Gotta change it," or "It would be much cooler if he/she said this. Must rephrase," or "This sentence is unnecessary. I gotta remove this," or "Gaah! I completely forgot something so important!" and so, bottom line, if you back-read it, you'll surely notice some changes. I'm afraid it wouldn't be the last, sorry 'bout that. Hopefully I'll get better in writing, not to mention improve my memory** **so I wouldn't have to do that quite frequently** (-_-;)

 **Alright! We finally reached the end of this chapter. If you reached this far, seriously, thanks a lot!**

 **[Date Posted/Uploaded]: May 13, 2017.  
[Edited]: Changed a few phrases and added a few changes concerning some scenes (especially concerning the Sound Electric duo).**


	9. Chapter 8: A Reunion with the Past

**I'm back with a new chapter! Real sorry I took long to update, everyone. I seriously worked my ass off just to finish this chapter because I absolutely** _ **cannot**_ **let this year end without uploading a new chapter, so** _ **voila~!**_ **I made it** _ **just**_ **in the nick of time.**

 **Guilt aside, I am so grateful to see that this fic already has a hundred followers! *cue confettis and fireworks* It makes my heart burst knowing that a lot of people are super interested in this. Thank you so much!**

 **(Spoiler Alert!) By the way, who here already reached chapters 122 and above in the Manga? I just wanna say that I was pleasantly surprised when Hadou Nejire was introduced because she looks exactly like what I imagined Alumi would look like if she was going to be drawn in Horikoshi-sensei's style! Minus the hairstyle and color schemes of course. Alumi's eyes are also comparatively smaller and almond-shaped, similar to Momo's.**

 **And lemme just tell you that I'm finally done with Alumi's OC Data~! You should totally check that out so you may get to know Alumi better. Kindly fly over to my DA account named Rinrikapyon, the link is in my profile!**

 **Anyhow~ let's head to the chapter! Honestly, I'm not too confident of how this turned out. Believe me, I lost count of how many times I alternated between re-writing and procrastinating, but I just had to get it out since it's undoubtedly one step taken to forward this story.**

 **Also, it just crossed my mind that this fanfiction already passed its 1st anniversary lol. To those who followed and read this until now, I cannot thank you enough. Please enjoy this chapter!**

 **Special thanks to:** **oikawatooruu** **,** **AkitaWF** **,** **SatiricalAbyss** **,** **tsubaki apple** **,** **blob80** **and to the** **three Guests** **, for the encouraging feedbacks~!**

* * *

 **.** **  
** **〖** **Chapter Eight** **〗**

 **A Reunion with the Past**

* * *

When Hiromu dropped Alumi off to school the next day, a horde of reporters, cameramen and basically people working for the media were gathered outside of U.A's front gate. Alumi shares a look of surprise with her dad until it dawns on them of what exactly the commotion was all about, which could also be summarized into six words: All Might's recent employment in U.A.

"Would you look at that...All Might will be in for a big surprise, I'm sure," Hiromu said after parking their vehicle a good distance away from the crowd. His gaze shifted into concern as he looked at his daughter. "Will you be alright?"

"I'll manage," Alumi replied cheerfully as she stepped out of the car, closed the door, then turned to face her father who had the windows down so they can see each other. "Please don't worry about me and do your best at work today as well, Otou-san."

But despite Alumi's assurance, Hiromu just couldn't shake off the discomfort he felt. Looking back at the mass media horde, just the thought of his daughter walking right into their midst like a mouse plunging straight into a cat's maw left him troubled beyond words (and it didn't help that he was married to a former celebrity).

"All right," he says reluctantly after seeing her expectant little smile. "I'll call you this afternoon, then. Take care, Alu."

"I will. I'll see you soon." Alumi smiled warmly and waved. Hiromu returned the gesture with an encouraging smile before revving up the engine and finally disappearing down the road.

Alumi turned on her heel but stayed rooted on the spot as she watched how the group of reporters resembled a pack of hungry lions by the way they crowded and preyed on the students.

 _'Chi-chan was right…The media isn't lagging behind with these things.'_

The sight was frightening. Luckily, they hadn't spotted her yet. Alumi contemplated using her Quirk to get to the other side of the wall, but that was basically asking to have her perfect school record stained if somebody happened to witness her burglar-like entrance and couldn't keep their mouth shut about it.

With a sigh, Alumi decided to brave through the crowd. She remembered the simple technique her mother used to survive the paparazzi back in the day – Smile. Avoid eye-contact. Ignore. Putting that strategy into play, Alumi kept silent and didn't even spare the media men a glance when they practically pounced on her the second they saw her walk towards them, just like how dogs would at the sight of fresh meat.

"Just a few words or maybe even a small commentary of what All Might is like as a teacher will do just fine!" Yelled this one female reporter who was twice more persistent and aggressive than the rest.

Alumi hastened her pace and continued to smile nonchalantly as if she didn't hear anything. She actually heard the woman growl in frustration.

"Come on, we just want to know and let the world know what he's like as an educator! If you could just share your experience…" Her suddenly voice trailed off that Alumi was almost tempted to take a peek of what made her quiet all of a sudden. But then the woman caught up to her and was giving Alumi a pointed quizzical look. "Hey, you look kind of familiar!"

The smile on Alumi's face wavered, her eyes widening slightly in alarm.

"Aren't you that blue-haired kid the Flame Hero Endeavour rescued six years ago?!" The female reporter exclaimed, her accusation causing a chain reaction among the others.

Alumi internally shook her head and continued looking ahead, gritting her teeth nervously behind her sealed lips. _'Impossible. How could they still remember that?'_

As if reading her thoughts, the pesky journalist replied, "It happened a long time ago, but that story managed to make its way in our company's Hall of Revered Headlines, mostly because Endeavour was involved. She'd be about your age, too! Ne, you're that kid aren't you miss?"

"That's not all," another blurted out. "Don't you think she closely resembles Reika Azayaka?"

" _The_ Reika Azayaka?"

"Ooh, it's definitely her! Just look at those eyes, and that nose! It was also Reika-san's kid that Endeavour rescued that time, don't you guys remember? Her only son even died in that incident!"

At this point the media men loomed over Alumi and blocked her path, causing the girl to stop abruptly. A random camera man suddenly raised his camera at her. Alarmed, Alumi immediately turned away and covered her face with her forearm just as multiple flashes went off.

"It was after that when Reika-san stopped showing up on the screen right?"

"Excuse me miss—Oi! Wait!"

In a fit of despair Alumi squirmed and burst through the mob, taking off into a full sprint before they could say anything more about her past. She was already near the school's entrance so they weren't able to pursue her once she was past the gate.

Alumi slowed down once she was inside the campus, not even bothering to look back as she caught her breath and reinforced her composure. She kept her head down the entire time she walked towards her shoe cubby, afraid of letting anyone see the expression she currently had.

Terrible. It was terrible how the people working in the media industry would disregard a person's feelings for their own benefit. How could they spew such insensitive comments like it was the most natural thing to do?

' _And the nerve to blatantly talk about Haru's death like that…!'_ Alumi scrunched her nose in disgust and annoyance, replacing her shoes with barely contained anger and shutting the door to her shoe locker with more force than necessary.

The sudden clang of metal startled the few people around her, which was enough to bring Alumi out of her fuming daze. She smiled apologetically to those who saw and heaved a sigh, the anger she felt simmering down into a buzz until all that's left was a pounding stab of loss.

Alumi shut her eyes and took a deep breath. _'I better go to the classroom,'_ she decides, bracing her backpack on her shoulders and giving it a light bounce, the load easing up along with the heaviness she felt.

Unconsciously, Alumi looked at the entrance over her shoulder and saw Ochako entering the lobby looking quite traumatized. But when the brunette spotted her, she immediately broke into a huge relieved grin, making Alumi smile as well.

"Good morning, Alumi-chan!"

"Good morning to you too, Urara-chan," Alumi greeted back. She gave the girl a sympathetic smile. "Quite the morning we have today, huh? I can see you weren't spared back there."

"Yeah, it was scary," Ochako replied with a shudder as they started walking towards their classroom. "They kept on asking about All Might, and even said something about a celebrity's daughter studying here in U.A."

Alumi gave her an alarmed glance. "They asked you that?"

"Un. I don't know which celebrity they were talking about, but that's so exciting! I wonder who it is…" Ochako tapped a finger to her chin in thought. "Do you think it could be someone we know?"

She smiled uneasily. _'Should I tell Urara-chan?'_ Alumi was quick to disregard the thought. No, she shouldn't. Because telling Ochako would eventually lead to revealing details of her past. She wasn't ready to disclose that information yet.

"By the way, Alumi-chan. Something's different about you today."

"You think so?" Alumi grinned slightly, wondering if Ochako had finally noticed her latest accessory.

"It's the earrings isn't it? They're really pretty!" Ochako gushed as she leaned closer.

"My grandmother gave them to me." Alumi tilted her head a little and tucked a strand of hair behind her right ear so the brunette could see the earring more clearly.

"I like it!" Ochako exclaimed. "It really suits your Quirk."

Alumi thought exactly. It was a well-thought-of gift that not only complemented her appearance, but also gave her crystallization emphasis. She couldn't even begin how to thank her grandmother for it, other than perhaps holding on to it as she rises to become a hero. Not that Alumi would ever take it off. It was practically her mark now.

* * *

Homeroom that morning sure was a lively one (for a normal class activity of choosing a class representative, that is). In a normal school, no one would voluntarily commit themselves to being the Class Representative because of how much work it entails. But in the Hero course, being the Class Representative was a revered status among Hero-aspirants, an ideal accomplishment that would go well in any Pro-Hero's résumé. And so, declarations hurtled left and right, each getting louder than the last.

While Alumi wasn't any different, she knew it was pointless to try and vie for the position with as much enthusiasm as the others. She doubted that even if she raised her hand, it wouldn't even be visible amidst the ruckus. And it wasn't like Aizawa-sensei was actively involved in the process.

In fact, he looked like he couldn't care any less who the Class Rep was going to be and was currently rummaging something from under the desk. Vaguely, Alumi could clearly imagine what exactly he was looking for. It's going to be yellow and kinda squishy looking…

She sighs, watching torn between dismay and amusement as Aizawa-sensei seals himself inside his comical sleeping bag with a decisive 'zip!' and turns away from the class in a slow roll. She looks back towards her classmates with a conflicted smile. _'Oh dear. We have quite the dilemma here.'_

In the end, it was Iida who quelled the commotion and suggested the good ole election route to settle the dilemma. _'He's like the Class Rep already.'_ Alumi thought, astonished.

 _Election Results:_

 _Midoriya – 4_

 _Yaoyorozu – 2_

Despite her surprise, a small 'Yaaay!' flag went up inside Alumi's head. She didn't really expect for her candidate to win by a landslide. She looked around and saw that the whole class – including the brand new _Inchou_ himself – was practically thinking the same thing: who would've thought that the demure and jittery fanboy Midoriya would end up bagging the position?

Although Iida was one of Alumi's primary candidates, she figured that this kind of exposure would cure Izuku's skittish behaviour. And it wasn't like she voted for him out of pure favouritism (nope, not at all!) but because she saw Izuku had the makings of a leader. Yesterday proved he had what it takes, his courage and tactical prowess evident. To put it simply, he was a diamond in a rough, and Alumi already decided to support him in any way she could.

While everybody else went along with the results, Bakugou, on the other hand…

"WHY IN THE HELL!? Who voted for Deku!?"

As expected, Bakugou flipped his lid. Knowing that he has it out for the curly haired boy, Alumi wasn't even surprised. She glanced inconspicuously at the infuriated Bakugou, suppressing a grin. If only he would actually use his eyes instead of his mouth when looking for answers. It wasn't even _that_ hard. It didn't even take her long to find out who the other two voters were, seeing as Iida and Uraraka, and even Todoroki's names weren't up in the board, much like herself.

' _I wonder who Todoroki-kun voted for…'_ Alumi pondered. _'It couldn't be Mi-kun, so it must've been Momo-chan.'_

Bakugou was still going off on his tirade, now with a teasing Sero and a jeering Kaminari in the mix when Alumi glanced briefly at the half-and-half boy, the feeling that she felt yesterday resurfacing.

 _'Todoroki-kun…Shouto is his name…Shouto-san…I wonder why you remind me so much of–'_

Alumi felt a stab of shock when Todoroki suddenly glanced her way, his gaze catching hers, their eyes meeting for the first time. Usually, when people accidentally make eye-contact with her, they were quick to avert their eyes in a coy manner. But Todoroki was different. He stared right back, and stared, then blinked. Alumi inwardly flinched, an area of her head tingled, and she just knows that her _Ahoge_ betrayed her. She blinked twice. Then she flashed him a self-conscious smile that stung the corners of her mouth because she wasn't used to it. Todoroki didn't return the smile. Instead he looked at the roster on the board, then back to her, ever so subtly raises a brow, then stopped looking at her altogether.

As stupefying the gesture was, Alumi understood what it was about. He knew that she voted for Midoriya and was probably wondering why. Alumi narrowed an eye and pouted. She stared at him some more, hoping to catch his eyes again. Four seconds and a blink from a pair of heterochromatic eyes later, she succeeded. His expression is as blank as ever when he looks at her again, but she could see the silent question in his eyes. Alumi blinks, then casts a quick look at the board, then to Yaoyorozu, then back to him with her own raised brow and a knowing smile.

They both blinked at the same time. Suddenly Todoroki nodded his head, his gaze morphing into an acknowledging and tacit manner, almost as if he was saying that this discovery is to be kept between the two of them. The look he gave with the nod was so subtle that if one wasn't looking at him at that moment, they would never notice. But Alumi had, and that somewhat brought a rush of a foreign emotion in her chest.

She nodded in return, smiling slightly and immediately turned away, but not without making sure that she wasn't being hasty in doing so. Alumi wasn't sure whether it was amusement or something else, but her little smile grew wide. It was the weirdest interaction she ever had, and yet she felt ticklish and warm.

Her cheeks ached.

* * *

The school bell rings, morning classes are over, and the students of U.A are ready for lunch. But for Alumi, now was a good time to go _Haffu_ hunting.

She was eager for this moment, eager to see Kyou-kun after Chihari divulged he was already in U.A. and she knew that now was the only chance within the day to go looking for him.

"I'm afraid I can't eat with you today," Alumi said, stopping by the door while Ochako, Iida and Izuku paused in their tracks. They had become lunch buddies as of late, so this was definitely a surprise for the three. "There's someone I have to meet up with," she explained, smiling apologetically.

"Oh, t-that's okay, Alumi-san," Izuku replies with an easy smile on his face.

"Yeah, we'll see you after lunch!" Ochako beams while Iida nods with a hand readjusting his glasses.

Alumi nods back and sees the trio off with a wave. She lingered outside the hall for a few moments, watching them disappear around the stairs. She was about to head for the neighbouring class when she felt a prickling awareness raising the hair on the back of her neck, her shoulders tensing in reflex.

Someone was watching her.

She stills and listens, trying to pinpoint where exactly. _There_. She could sense it, amidst the chatter and intermingling group of students within the hall, a distinct pair of footsteps coming towards her. Six meters…four…closer and closer…then it stops. It was now directly behind her.

"There you are," came a deep, male voice, and Alumi jolts with recognition.

"Look for the girl with a Dango-themed hairpin, she said," he chuckled, accompanied with what sounded like a hiss – two distinct hisses. "She forgot to mention the earrings, but what _prima_ didn't know is that I'll never forget what you look like even after all these years, Alumi."

Alumi turned immediately, her eager eyes latching onto the figure of Kyouhei. The honey-skinned _Haffu_ smiled warmly the instant their gazes connected and lowered his torso into a graceful bow, the twin snakes around his neck doing the same. As his head lifted, Alumi saw the glitter of a diamond stud in one ear—an exotic touch that suited him. That wasn't there before the last time she saw him, and that's when she realized how these past two years and a half had greatly affected him.

"Kyou-kun..." Alumi greeted distractedly, her mind still reeling from the fact that this teenager standing before her was the very same boy she met as a child back then. She used to be taller than him, but now Alumi couldn't help but be impressed at his tall, muscular build. And then there was his appearance, his sharp Portuguese features enhanced by time making him undeniably handsome.

"I see you missed me. Can't say I don't feel the same way," Kyouhei said with a dramatic sigh and a wink. "Leaving my prettiest jewel's side for so long made me so lonely…but I'm so glad to see that you're as beautiful as ever, Alumi."

"And you still have that flowery tongue of yours," she chided with a chuckle before giving him a warm smile, to which he returned. "Welcome back, Kyou-kun."

"Don't forget about _us,sss,_ " said a raspy muscular voice. It was the right snake on Kyouhei's shoulder that spoke, its silver eyes alight with glee as he hovered closer towards her.

"Kyou-tan's not the only one who missssed'cha, Lumi-tan!" The one on the left piped up in a high-pitched feminine voice as it slithered up to Alumi's neck and nuzzled her face.

Alumi giggled at the ticklish sensation the affectionate reptile's scales brought. "Mahi, Kem-chan, it's great to see you two again!" She patted both of them, enjoying the privilege that only a handful of people had.

The twin Albino snakes, Mahi and Kemuri, looked scary and dangerous as snakes could be. They were larger than average anacondas that even with Kyouhei looking friendly and approachable, people tended to avoid him. It seemed that even with the evolution of Quirks, the appearance of a snake was still capable of frightening people. And it didn't help that the two could talk, either. Kemuri liked to make jokes at the expense of others while Mahi tended to be very sarcastic. But as troublesome as they were, their loyalty and devotion to Kyouhei was something to behold. At the same time, they had an affectionate and caring side which they show exclusively to the very few people they respected and trust. Even to this day, Alumi didn't know how exactly they came to like her (though she certainly likes the attention).

She cooed at them like how a mother would. "Look at you both. You've grown so big now."

"You as well, _sss_ ," Mahi commented.

"Yeah! Yeah! Lumi-tan's so mature an' grown-up too! And! And! We've grown stronger, too! Wait 'til ya see, wait 'til ya see!"

"All right you two, that's enough," Kyouhei says and the two reptiles slowly reeled back, with Kemuri letting out a sad "Awwww", Alumi grinning at their antics.

"Yer just _jelly_ Kyou-tan!" Kemuri pouted.

" _Jelly?_ " Alumi reiterated amusedly. "I see your slang is improving." _'And is that Kansai-ben…?'_

"We've studied lots after all," Kemuri replied proudly, though Alumi already figured as much. The trio's Japanese has improved greatly, especially Kyouhei who used to have a hard time speaking the language. Now his Japanese was impeccable and spoken with grace, despite some syllables coming out as thick with an accent.

"But that's not all, Lumi-tan! I know lots of Japanese swear words now too! They ain't nothin' like the _palavrões_ back home _,_ but I really like the word _ku_ —"

"Don't get scandalous now, we're still in the hall," Kyouhei chided, smiling sheepishly at Alumi's slightly surprised expression that the youngest snake now knew how to cuss. "Kemuri's been very keen on using her newly acquired set of vocabulary. She's been very enthusiastic the moment we set foot in Japan."

That caused Alumi to giggle. "No more different than you, Kyou-kun," she teased, making Mahi and Kemuri laugh.

"Guilty as charged," Kyouhei replied good-naturedly. Then seemingly out of nowhere, he conjured a fancy-looking two-set Japanese bento box wrapped in a red sash. "Chi made this for us. She really insisted that we eat it together and celebrate our reunion. Have lunch with me?"

"I'd love to. I miss Chi-chan's cooking," Alumi said eagerly, walking with him. "And besides, we have lots of catching up to do."

* * *

And catching up they did. Alumi couldn't remember the last time she enjoyed reminiscing the past (and that's saying a lot). She worried if the years in between had altered their relationship, but that tiny sliver of unease dissolved when she saw that nothing changed much since the last time they saw each other. Kyouhei was still the flirty, soft-spoken and easy-going boy she remembered despite his obvious changes in growth, still the warm supporting friend who understood her despite their distance.

It was like they were in a world of their own within U.A's recreational fields, amongst other students who also decided to eat outside with their bento buddies. The day was just perfect for a picnic, and she basked in the tides of nostalgia that engulfed them.

Their topics ecstatically bounced from their days at the dojo, to what they've been up to in two years and eventually, their admissions to U.A.

"Chi and Jii-san told me you ranked fourth during the entrance exams," Kyouhei says after swallowing a mouthful of food. "Not bad at all." He chuckled. "Nothing less from you."

"It came as a surprise to me, actually," Alumi replied with a chopstick pressed against her lip. "I was fine with enough points to pass, and I certainly made sure of that. But then I saw that my overall score was not a 50, but a 70. Later I learned that it was because of Rescue points. It surprised me because I didn't really expect for Rescue points to be included in the margin…" she trailed off when she realized that somehow she knew Rescue was going to play a part in the exam. It was an integral part of being a hero, after all.

Suddenly an underlying concern dawns on her. Something that unconsciously bothered her but didn't think too much about it because of how satisfying the result was that the process didn't matter anymore. But come to think of it…

"But ain't that a good thing?" Kemuri says, and Alumi nods distractedly as she bit off a piece of steamed beef, remembering Izuku all of a sudden.

How did the curly-haired boy pass? She couldn't think of any other logical reason other than his heroic stunt of saving Ochako from being a human stamp by smashing that gigantic faux-villain to bits. Surely such a spectacle deserved a mountain pile of Rescue points. Alumi feels a contented smile tug at her lips at the realization.

"Heeeh~? The entrance exam sounds fun. How I wish to be a part of it," Kyouhei commented dejectedly.

Alumi perks up with a questioning look. "That reminds me, but how did you get into U.A, Kyou-kun? I was really surprised to hear from Chi-chan yesterday that you're already in Japan. You didn't tell me at all."

Alumi pouts disapprovingly at him and Kyouhei grinned sheepishly. "Forgive me, pretty jewel. I wanted it to be a surprise, so I told them not to tell you."

"But ya should've seen his social media accounts, Lumi-tan," Kemuri cut in. "Hints were everywhere! Kyou-tan was very very excited!"

"Oh, is that so? I'm sorry, I haven't been active for a long time now," Alumi said.

"That'ssss too bad! No wonder why we haven't been able to reach yew lately, Lumi-tan. Why aren't'cha active?"

At the bluenette's silence, Mahi commented, "She has social media phobia, Kem, _sss_."

"Oooh right," Kemuri hissed lowly, her silver reptilian eyes shining with pity.

"I do not have social media phobia," Alumi stated with a mock-indignant pout. "I just deactivated my accounts, that's all."

"Why's that, Lumi-tan?"

"I haven't had the time for it," was her flat reply.

The twin snakes exchanged a glance, watching as Alumi resumed eating, eyes soft with gloomy remembrance. It was then they remembered what Chihari told them.

* * *

" _Listen here. You aren't gonna talk to Alumi about why she hasn't been active on her social media accounts, is that clear?"_

" _Why? sss." Mahi asked._

" _Because some teen magazine company has been sniffing her out lately and it has something to do with her mom. Micchan's been very upset about it…"_

" _And to avoid them, Alumi deactivated her accounts?" Kyouhei clarified._

" _Yes, so you better keep your mouths shut! Got it?"_

" _Okay~! But I'm only doing it 'cause it's for Lumi-tan's sake, not because yew told me to, Porky-tan."_

" _Don't care. Just don't ask her about it. And how many times do I have to tell you to quit calling me that?! I'm not a porcupine, damn it!"_

* * *

"We completely forgot, _sss,_ " Mahi whispered uneasily to his twin behind Kyouhei's head.

"Yeah, my bad," Kemuri whispered back.

"About my admission," Kyouhei began as he lifted a piece of sushi from the bento, gaining Alumi's undivided attention and clearing the tiny cloud of tension in the air. "Father sent a recommendation for me, and here I am."

"I see. So you're one of the four who got in through recommendations," Alumi said, amazed, watching as he deposited the sushi inside Mahi's jaws before turning to feed their sister.

"Regrettably, we aren't back for good, _sss_." Mahi said.

Swallowing, Kemuri piped up, "We're only _sss_ -staying until Kyou-tan's graduation!"

"Then that would mean you're only staying for three years. And while you're studying here in U.A, you're staying over at Matsu-sensei and Chi-chan's house," Alumi concluded.

"Yep~!" Kemuri chirped.

' _Ah, poor Chi-chan.'_ Alumi could just imagine Chi-chan's distress now that they were back. The tomboy absolutely cannot the stand the two reptiles.

There was a thoughtful silence after Kemuri's reply. Alumi quietly chewed on her stuffed shrimp, eyes fixed on the dark skinned teen as he finished his portion of pork fried rice. From what she could remember, Kyouhei's father was a renowned hero based in Portugal. He graduated from U.A and met Kyouhei's mother during his stay in Japan. Kyouhei had inherited his Quirk from him, and now he was going to re-live his father's legacy, following in his footsteps and eventually becoming a great hero in their home country.

Alumi lowered her bento and smiled at him, "That's wonderful, Kyou-kun. I think it's great that you're officially walking in the same path as your father."

Kyouhei shifted and regarded her with the remarkable silver reptilian eyes that often left people unnerved. "Do you remember what I said before I left?"

"How could I forget…" Alumi said softly, her eyes shining of past memories. "We promised, didn't we? The three of us…"

He nodded with a nostalgic smile of his own. "I'll return, and we'll achieve our dreams together. We were only children back then, but now we're here in the starting line…I always wanted to be a Hero. U.A is my dream school. Father graduated from U.A, and now it is my turn. It's _our_ turn now, Alumi. It's a dream come true."

Kyouhei looked up and sighs dreamily. Alumi could practically see the stars in his eyes. He looked so happy, so love struck that he seemed liked in a world of his own.

Alumi smiled solemnly to herself as she couldn't help feeling out of place. _'This is my dream too, isn't it?'_ And yet she couldn't feel the same giddy fulfillment that Kyouhei felt, couldn't remember all of the passion she felt when she made the vow back then.

The farce from this morning was still bothering her. She was over it, but the fact remains that it was slowly nipping away at her once iron resolve. Now all Alumi felt was uncertainty.

Alumi chuckles to herself but it came out as a huff. She wonders wryly, baffled as to how she even began to feel so anxious now when everything she did was to reach this point. She tried to repress her worries, but that was getting kind of hard when flashes of painful reminders kept on showing up.

Suddenly she feels Kyouhei's eyes on her, and Alumi blinks to clear her mind and expression of any emotional clutter. She smiles a little, her face a silent question of 'Yes?' She knows he has something to say.

Kyouhei opens his mouth, "Is something the matter, Alumi?" His eyes were intent and probing.

Keeping the stiff smile on her face, Alumi was about to reply when an alarm rings overhead, sounding throughout the school and rousing everyone in the area.

" **Security Level 3 has been breached. All students, please evacuate outdoors promptly in an organized manner."**

They abruptly broke eye-contact as the announcement repeated and watched as the students around their area begin to break into a commotion, hastily packing their lunches and taking off in a frenzy.

Alumi repressed the urge to sigh in relief. Kyouhei was giving her this particular look. A look she knows that could detect whether she was lying or hiding something. It really felt like she was, quite literally, saved by the bell.

"Security level 3?" Kyouhei repeats curiously while Mahi and Kemuri hovered confusingly.

"Something must've caused it. I wonder what it stands for," Alumi commented as the tension she felt eased into her default composure. She was thankful that Kyouhei decided not to pursue matter. Though she knows him well that he'll confront her one day for it.

While she felt kind of guilty worrying him by not telling him anything, she didn't want him to know about her bouts of lapsing emotions and that she still had remnants of her trauma. Before he left, Kyouhei was convinced that she had overcome her nightmares. And Alumi intended to keep it that way.

"Oi, you two!" They both turned to see an older looking student with leaves for hair running towards them with his face painted in panic. "What're you doing still sitting around here!? Didn't you hear that announcement just now? You should hurry up and evacuate too!"

"Hn? But we're already outside," Alumi says and leaf-haired senpai actually flinches in realization.

Smiling at their senior politely, Kyouhei inquires, "What is the Security Level 3, if I may ask."

It was more of a demand than a question and leaf-haired senpai gapes with disbelief, nettled at how relaxed they were being. "You don't know? You must be a freshie! Security Level 3 means someone dangerous is trespassing in U.A! It's crazy! This never happened before, you know!?"

"How should we know?" Kemuri retorted.

Leaf-haired senpai turns to her with plate-sized eyes, trembling and backing away. "IT TALKS! AHHHH! TALKING SNAKE!"

"How rude! Yer hair is way more freakier FYI!" Kemuri yells, hissing angrily as they watch him run away in fright.

Alumi tried to suppress a giggle. "Oh dear, poor senpai."

They turned toward the doors where a parade of students flooded through, some pushing other people out of their way. The sight was even more frightening than this morning. Alumi was relieved for their decision to eat outside. She could just imagine the stampeding students inside the halls, squished and lumped together like sardines in a can.

She turned to Kyouhei. "What do you think should we do, Kyou-kun?"

The raven haired teen hummed thoughtfully as he leaned back, his fingers gliding through the grass as he used his arms for support. "Hmmm...I don't see the need to be scared. This is an institution filled with Pro-Heroes and we, the Heroes-in-Training. We might not know what kind of people trespassed, but I'm assuming it's nothing U.A can't handle."

Alumi smiled. Kyouhei has always been level-headed and not given to panic. Though she supposed it was because he grew up in a crime-ridden country like Portugal, and was groomed and raised under the supervision of professional heroes.

"I suppose you're right." Alumi lifted a hand and cradles her chin in deep thought. "What kind of people, huh?" She narrowed her eyes. "I think I might have a good idea of who they are…"

"Could it be the media this morning?" Kyouhei said with a knowing glint in his eye.

With her mouth set in a grim line, Alumi replied, "It is likely. But the question is…how did they get in?"

A progression of sirens blared in the air, heralding the arrival of the police. They both exchanged smiles of relief while the remaining students ceased in their haste under the impression that everything was under control.

"Ooohhh! The Japanese police sure are quick!" Kemuri hissed excitedly.

"Chi-chan would've liked to see them in action," Alumi chuckled as she began to tidy up their finished meal, Kyouhei securing the empty bento boxes with the red sash.

"Do you want to go back inside?" He asked after a while.

Alumi glances at the plethora of students entering the building, scrunches her nose a little, and then looks back at the dark-skinned teen with a telling glance.

"Let's stay here for a while," she says, and Kyouhei wholeheartedly agrees.

They both settled into a comfortable silence as they leisurely sat on the grass while Alumi solemnly notes what a day this was turning out to be. It was such a beautiful day, but now it has a sort of ominous feel to it thanks to the bizarre events that occurred.

She wonders if something even crazier would happen after this, something insane like a horde of villains showing up out of nowhere, just like the media this morning or something like that.

Alumi stared at the sky littered with white fluffy clouds and chuckled at her silly thoughts.

Villains in a Top Hero academy? Yeah right. U.A had one of the most impregnable security measures in the world. There was just no way that was going to happen.

* * *

Alumi and Kyouhei entered the school building just in time when the school bell rang. When they reached Class 1-A's classroom, the pair stopped by the door, knowing that their reunion was over but at the same time, it wasn't.

"It really is too bad we aren't in the same class," Kyouhei said with a small smile, though his disappointment was evident.

"Too bad," Kemuri echoed with the same sad look.

Alumi couldn't help but chuckle at the adorable matching pout they wore. "Come now, we'll still see each other every day."

"You're right. I'll see you after class, then?" Kyouhei asked with begging eyes even though Alumi would never say no.

"Of course. Let's head to the station together." Alumi flashed him a warm smile before turning to slide Class 1-A's door open.

"Can't wait. I'll see you later, my pretty jewel." Kyouhei grinned. Alumi chuckled and shook her head softly at him as she stepped inside the room.

Kyouhei started to walk away when he suddenly hopped back on one foot, making Alumi turn her head to him again. "I almost forgot! Chi said she already told you, but you remember her request, yes?"

Alumi laughed at the reminder. "All Might-san's autograph. Don't worry, I'll be sure to get it."

Kyouhei nodded and waved before finally heading off to Class B's classroom. Alumi smiled at his retreating back, waving quickly to Mahi and Kemuri who both looked back to bid her farewell before she entered her own room.

With the bluenette out of the vicinity, Kyouhei's cheerful expression slid into a somber and much pensive one. He thought of their earlier conversations, of how he saw her reverting to her old self for an instant and how she tried to covered it up. Alumi might've overcome most of her trauma, but he saw – and understands – that some demons are hard to kill. That even if one thought they already buried them, they'd come clawing back out. That was the reason why he didn't pursue the issue earlier, and he was grateful that his siblings and even Chihari understood this as well. They tacitly agreed not to unnecessarily pester Alumi about it after that major confrontation two years ago. Kyouhei knew that Alumi trusted him and the twins in general, but he could sense there was a barrier between them, like she was keeping them at arm's length.

"Porky-tan was right. Lumi-tan changed a lot since then, huh?" Kemuri said in a hushed and rushed way that indicated she's been itching to say those words the entire time. Prior to their arrival in Japan, Chihari did say that Alumi was 'not how she used to be', though they really haven't thought much of it until now when they finally got to be with her again.

Mahi was quick to agree. "For one thing, she doesn't stutter anymore, _sss._ "

"Yer right, I didn't even notice! And her hair's longer too."

Kyouhei smiled. The three of them really were connected to an instinctual and psychosomatic degree.

"What do you think, Kyou-tan?" Kemuri asked in their native tongue.

There was a short pause. Kyouhei didn't answer until they were right in front of Class 1-B's door. "Certainly Alumi has grown since then," Kyouhei said, also using their native language. "I'm glad."

Mahi and Kemuri shared a glance. They could feel it, Kyouhei's simmering unease. But they both knew it was best to remain silent for now.

* * *

It turned out the rest of the day went without anything unexpectedly crazy happening like what Alumi thought. Although the position as Class Rep unexpectedly springing from Midoriya to Iida was unexpected, she was happy for the bespectacled boy, knowing that he also deserved the title. After all, how he spearheaded the election earlier coupled with his latest stunt proved he had the bearings of how to handle a pack.

"And he has glasses!" Ochako had said with a half-giddy, half-serious expression that made Alumi laugh. She also couldn't have been prouder of Midoriya at that moment as he resigned his position.

Alumi had relayed the incident to Kyouhei as they walked outside of U.A. after their classes and he looked very amused.

"It's not every day to see someone willingly resign their position like that," Kyouhei said, impressed. Then his voice became soft as he said, "You sound like you really like this person, Alumi. Have I been defeated?"

At the sight of his sad puppy eyes, Alumi blinked and shook her head, chuckling helplessly. "It's not like that, silly. Midoriya-kun…Mi-kun is…He reminds me of Haru, so that must be why I'm really fond of him. Aside from that, he's a really kind and interesting person."

At the mention of Haruki's name, whom Alumi seldom speak of, Kyouhei and the twins perked up in shock, a dawning realization crossing their faces. Kyouhei immediately schooled his expression as Alumi turned to look at him.

He smiled. "Is that so? I'd like to meet him, then."

"One of these days maybe," Alumi said, smiling. The spring breeze that passes between them is gentle, but it stirred not only the trees around them, but the anxiety inside of Alumi as well. She already bid the trio that she couldn't go to the station with them today, but she still couldn't help but worry about the curly-haired boy. She wondered where he was, what he's doing, if his arm was healing all right, if he's comfortable...

"I bet Chi would like to meet him too," Kyouhei said, dispersing her thoughts. "Speaking of _prima_ , do you have All Might's autograph?"

Alumi replied with a pout. "I'm afraid not. All Might took a day-off today, so we didn't get to see him during our Hero Basic Training class earlier. Tomorrow, however, I'll definitely get it. So if Chi-chan starts being grumpy, call me right away and I'll handle her."

Kyouhei and the twins released relieved sighs and immediately nodded in agreement.

"We'll definitely call you, pretty jewel," Kyouhei said with a nervous smile.

Kemuri nodded vigorously. "Yeah yeah! I don' wanna _deal_ with a grumpy Porky-tan, nuh-uh!"

"Let's just hope she'll last until tomorrow, _sss_ ," said Mahi.

Alumi lets out a light laugh – amused at their collective look of anxiety at telling Chihari the bad news – before looking up at the sky. Streaks of orange and purple started to become visible in the horizon, the day preparing for night and the night preparing for tomorrow.

 _'Tomorrow, huh...I hope tomorrow will be fun as well.'_

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **And that's a wrap! Guuurlll, you better be careful for what you wish for! USJ Arc, here we come~!**

 **On a side note, I'm gonna say it again. I'm not very proud of this chapter, but it has substance that I'm glad I was finally able to touch on, especially on the introduction of Kyouhei and his pair of snake twins. What do you think of them though? I definitely want to know your opinions. That would be much appreciated!**

※ **On the account of Social Media mentioned by Kemuri in this chapter, as we've seen in the series, Social Media is a big part in the lives of the people in the BNHA world, much like us millennial folks, so I'm definitely incorporating it here. I'm not gonna mention some big-name sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc., though because it seems like it doesn't even exist in their world. Oh, and that bit about 'Social Media Phobia'? I ain't trippin' ya'll. That thang's legit. Me, my sister, my bro, and two of my friends used to have that back when Instagram wasn't even famous, but we're recovering and working to incorporate ourselves into the millennial society in case you're wondering (except my sister cuz she's a real hermit -.-).**

※ **Translations:**

 _ **Inchou**_ **– Japanese term for Class Representative.** **  
** _ **Prima**_ **– Cousin. It's supposed to be** _ **Primo**_ **, but I took the liberty of using** _ **Prima**_ **instead since Chihari is a girl.** **  
** _ **Palavrões**_ **– means "bad words" in Portuguese.**

 **I still have my qualms if I used the correct Portuguese words, so if any of you dear readers out there speak Portuguese or Spanish, feel free to correct me on this and of any errors that you might find in translations.**

※ **Kansai-ben – the dialect used by the people who live in the Kansai region in Japan. Ochako also occasionally uses this dialect.**

* * *

 **In response to the guest reviews~:**

 **Guest 1 (June 12):** Aww I'm glad you like it! Thank yo so much for taking your time to review. Stay tuned~!

 **Guest 2 (Aug 3):** And I love YOU for reviewing! Thanks!

 **Guest 3 (Dec 14):** For real? Thank you so much! Katsuki is seriously a complex character, so I really wasn't sure what I was doing, but I do know what I want lol. I'm so glad that you enjoyed it =D

 **Thank you, thank you so much for dropping by. But seriously, ya'll need names lol.**

* * *

 **[Notice]: I'd like all of you to know that I've re-edited chapters 5-7, A.K.A the Battle Trial Arc. This is due because after I let my older sister read the aforementioned chapters, she suggested to add action scenes during Alumi's mock battle because it seemed too plain. She is infinitely a better writer than me, and even I honestly found it lacking, so I took her suggestion and ended up re-editing the whole arc which covers a span of three chapters. Due to being edited, it's all slightly longer now. So to those who haven't read the updated chapters yet, I suggest you do some serious backreadin'. I'm truly sorry for the inconvenience and my incompetence that causes me to edit chapters all over again. That's seriously one of my resolutions for the new year lol.**

 **Now before you go, let me greet everyone a Happy New Year along with this year-end upload~!**

 **~ Rinri**

 **[Date Posted]: December 31, 2017  
[Edited]: Re-phrased some dialogues and scenes, added further explanations, fixed grammatical errors and gave Kemuri a Kansai dialect cuz folks from the Kansai region are awesome *-* **


	10. Chapter 9: USJs in USJ

**We're finally here~! The USJ Arc is one of my biggest must-write Arcs, so that's one down!** **I also really wanted to upload this during this story's 2nd anniversary approximately nine days ago, and this was really only supposed to be around 7,000 words...but...yeah.** **Let's get on with it** **(⌐■_■)ლ**

 **Shoutout and rainbow confettis to:** **Krystal 2018** **,** **Leslie** **,** **Awesomeness3013** **,** **Silver Hydrangea** **,** **Malorne-10** **,** **Emocean** **,** **asphodelos** **, and the three** **Guests** **for reviewing~! (/** ● **ヮ** ● **)** **ﾉ *:･ﾟ✧**

* * *

 **.  
** **〖** **Chapter Nine** **〗**

 **USJs in USJ**

* * *

Alumi's eyes opened slowly. She had already taught herself in the past to awaken whenever her dreams have reached the point of where she didn't want them to continue anymore, the point where they morph into hideous vivid nightmares. But tonight there was no sign of Haruki. Instead she had the impression of being lost amidst a large group of people, their black shadowed figures vaguely resembling some of her classmates while some resembled the pesky media men from yesterday. There was chaos and yelling, but she didn't know where it came from or from who, nor did she understand a single word that was being said.

She was faintly aware of Izuku's presence nearby, but there was no sight of him. She remembered looking frantically for him, pushing her way towards unknown directions of where he could be. And just when she felt she could see the outline of his appearance, everything dissipated until there was nothing left but the dark. What followed after was a seemingly long, immeasurable interval of inky blackness.

And then Alumi woke up, the familiar outline of her room's ceiling greeting her first, followed by the soft lavender glow of her nightlight slowly pouring into her vision. She sat up slowly and released an exhausted yawn against her palm before glancing to her left. She squinted her eyes to read the digital numbers her bedside alarm clock displayed. It read 4:22 AM.

' _Thank goodness. It's almost five AM.'_ Alumi thought. She rubbed at her face, which felt oddly sore, and ran both hands through her hair, dimly noting of how long it got, before lowering her legs on the floor. She stretched, made her bed, grabbed a face towel and made a beeline for the bathroom, now thoroughly conscious and intent to start her day.

* * *

About forty minutes later, Alumi returned with a sweat-drenched top, exhausted but satisfied. She walked up to their gate and was about to open it, her hand already raised, when it was abruptly opened. Alumi froze. Her breath caught in her throat as she locked eyes with the person on the other side of the gate.

Koseki Reika did not look the least bit surprised. She raised a mildly concerned brow, however, as she took in Alumi's less than polished appearance, sharp blue-lavender eyes zeroing in on her sweaty top, dishevelled hair, pale face and clammy skin.

Alumi forced herself to smile as she forced down the sudden outbreak of panic that threatened to show itself. "Good morning, Mother," she managed to say.

"Alu," her mother responded, her assessing gaze dissolving into a neutral one. "I just arrived when I heard footsteps. I figured it was you." Then she turned and headed towards the white car parked within their garage. "You're out rather early."

Alumi crossed the threshold with the caution of a chick entering a lioness' den. "I woke up earlier than my alarm, but it wasn't…it wasn't too far from the set time…and I figured I might as well get up," she answered timidly, earning a low "Is that so?" from the older woman.

As Alumi closed the gate, she saw the her mother's luggage which consisted of a designer leather bag, a suitcase, two boxes, and three huge shopping bags placed on the ground.

"I didn't know you were coming home today, Mother. Is…is the project you're working on finally finished?"

"Yes. It's set to air next Monday after the evening news."

"Oh, that's wonderful..."

Having run out of what else to say, Alumi turned to enter the house but paused at the sight of her mother's back. Only then did she notice that Reika was still dressed in her travelling clothes. A pang of anguished concern filled her. Reluctantly, she approached one of the boxes and worked up the courage to say her next words. "Mother…shall I bring one of these inside?"

Reika paused and looked at what Alumi was referring to from over her shoulder before nodding her head and returning to rummage back inside the car. "Please do. And do take those bags along. The ones with the pink label are yours."

Alumi blinked with surprise and smiled a little, aware of a sinking sensation thrumming throughout her stomach. "All right."

She went to check the two boxes, smiling wryly when she saw that one of them had a pink label. After ascertaining that they didn't contain anything fragile, she stacked the them on top of each other, slipped the three shopping bags on one arm, placed the designer leather bag on the other, gathered the stack of boxes into her arms and slowly began her trek up the stairs of their porch, making sure to balance the over-all load of the objects she was carrying.

As soon as she heard the door close, Reika turned and stared at the entrance with a soft, contemplative expression. Then she looked down on where she placed the things she unloaded from the car and was greeted with only her suitcase left. Irked that her daughter decided to carry the majority of her luggages all by herself, Reika threw a hard, vexed look at the door.

' _That child…'_

* * *

Alumi reached her room carrying the box and shopping bag with the pink labels. She placed them on her bed and went to pull the windows apart, smiling softly at the telltale signs of the rising sun. She returned to her bed and began rummaging through her gifts. Inside the box were an assortment of beauty products, four large bottles of lotion, bath oils, along with three bottles of shampoo and conditioners, all plastered with a small red tag that said 'all natural'. She opened the shopping bag next and pulled out two dresses, a pair of casual Spartan-esque sandals and a red cardigan. Carefully she laid them one by one on the bed, methodically so as if she's already done it a hundred times before.

By the time she was done, Alumi slumped, drained of any cheerful emotion she felt that morning as she perused her new possessions with weary compliancy. She knew by now that this was her mother's way of showing her affection. She appreciated her mother's efforts to get them for her, and she was grateful for the gifts, as they were unquestionably expensive and sought after by many girls her age. But the monetary value they held were not the same as having the things that were truly priceless.

Lavish material things make pretty company, but it wasn't what Alumi truly wanted. It wasn't what she truly needed.

The aurora rays of the sunrise began to flood into her room, casting light against every outline and on the assorted row crystal glasses that hung over her window, the myriad of colors mingling and bathing the room in ethereal hues. But Alumi saw no color as she sat on her knees in the middle of the bed surrounded by very pretty things, lost basking in the void writhing inside of her.

* * *

The time was 6: 45 AM.

As Alumi made her was down the stairs clad in her school uniform, she was under the impression that she was in some sort of dream. Not only did her mother arrive with no warning, but she also took it upon herself to make breakfast, which was a complete and utter phenomenon in the Koseki house. Reika didn't join her at the table, however, as she revealed she had already eaten before travelling (to which Alumi was secretly relieved of).

And now, her mother was going to see her wearing U.A's student uniform for the first time.

As if on cue, Reika walked out of the kitchen with a mug on one hand, a magazine on the other, and paused when she saw her. Alumi's skin crawled underneath her blazer as her mother began to scrutinize her appearance. Reika narrowed her eyes. Whatever she saw, she was definitely wasn't pleased.

As the older woman approached, Alumi stood rooted by the foot of the stairs. She braced herself, fully expecting her mother to voice her two-cents of disapproval. But what she did next surprised Alumi beyond anything that morning. Reika had stopped in front of her, placed the magazine under her arm, and ever so gently pressed her free hand against Alumi's right cheek.

Immediately Alumi tensed, her shoulders bunching upward as her eyes widened in shock. At that frozen moment something invisible seemed to be coiling around her throat, alarm bells ringing in her head, but even so, Alumi fought against the urge of wanting to break away from her mother's hand as if her touch was poison. Never had her mother touched her like this, not since she was a little girl.

She was terrified, until she became aware of a slight, tingling sensation beginning to flow through her, starting from where her mother's hand made contact and spreading throughout her body like warm water. It seeped into her skin and invigorated her senses as if she had just emerged from a hot spring. A part of her mind recalled her father's words of how her mother's Quirk was akin to a spa treatment when one has the pleasure of being subjected to it. Alumi blinked twice and flushed, realizing with a touch of relief and disappointment that her mother was actually activating her Quirk on her. Reika was stone-faced as she did it and Alumi wondered when it would be over.

"Today is your fourth day at U.A, isn't it, Alu?"

She bobbed her head down in accordance with her answer. "Un…"

There was a moment of silence before Reika spoke again, her voice acquiring a stern edge. "Your father told me of your recent exploits in U.A…As I thought, that school's standards are unconventional and absurd."

A flare of indignation. _'You're wrong.'_ U.A was actually the most rational and sane institution she has ever had the privilege to study in. But Alumi bit back the retort and forced herself to look at her mother in the eye.

She smiled and spoke with measured calmness, "It's what made them the number one hero academy in Japan, though."

Although Reika's expression remained neutral, Alumi caught the way her mouth tightened into a straight, disapproving line. Finally she lifted her hand off of Alumi's cheek, and Alumi found herself breathing with ease again.

"Touché," her mother murmured in her occasional French accent. "Well, whatever odd things you're going to do in U.A today, you better not neglect your personal care, understand? You looked about ready to drop this morning."

Alumi was at a loss for words, her wariness displaced by bewilderment as Reika gave her a steady, mildly annoyed stare. _'O-Oh…Is that why she used her Quirk on me…?'_ Then, somewhere in the cage of her anxious heart, a small bud of hope began to bloom. _At last_. Her mother was finally, finally beginning to be receptive towards her pursuit to be a hero. She didn't know how that happened, but it was wonderful, unbelievable, _miraculous_.

Absentmindedly Alumi nodded her head, her lips curling into a small, genuine smile. "I understand…I'll be heading off now."

Reika responded with a low hum and exited the hall. Alumi turned towards the small shoe shelf beside the entrance, replaced her indoor slippers with her school shoes and left the house with a quiet click of the door. As soon as she was out of the gate, Alumi paused to breathe in the morning air and felt every tense nerve begin to relax.

Oddly enough she felt ready to seize the day after surviving that sudden encounter with her mother, even though it was mostly due to her mother's Quirk that she felt refreshed in the first place. She huffed softly and chuckled at the irony of it. Even now as she was making her way out of their subdivision, her mind still worked to process what just happened.

Stray petals from a nearby cherry blossom tree slowly danced in the wind above her. Unconsciously, Alumi pressed her fingers on her right cheek where the warmth of her mother's hand still lingered. She was surprised to encounter smooth flesh, soft as satin, and when she trailed them over her eyes, Alumi discovered that the bags underneath her eyes were gone.

* * *

It was already past 1 o' clock.

The students of Class 1-A were currently assembled in the courtyard in their costumes. There was a bus nearby, waiting to be filled and ready to take them out for yet another exciting Hero Basic Training session that was going to take place outside the campus.

Alumi walked over to where Izuku and Ochako were. She kept her gaze on the curly-haired boy, however, and smiled with relief. Ever since yesterday, Alumi couldn't stop worrying at the fact that she wasn't able to go to the station with Izuku. Kyouhei and the anaconda twins were great company, and Izuku himself was perfectly fine when she told him she couldn't accompany him that afternoon. But still, she couldn't help feeling uneasy as she thought about how she wasn't by Izuku's side.

It was like an obsessive compulsion to constantly check on him. It's only been the first time in three days that she wasn't able to ride the train with the curly-haired boy, but she could barely stop her worries from escalating. _Where is he now? Did he manage to get a seat inside the train, or is he standing squished together with other people?_ Simple yet unanswered questions. She knew she was being ridiculous, and yet she just couldn't repress the intense feeling of anxiety every time he's out of her sight. Seeing him now fully recovered instantly brought her encompassing comfort.

Ochako spotted her first as she drew nearer and happily waved her over, followed by Izuku who immediately flashed her a friendly smile.

"Alumi-san," Izuku greeted as the bluenette stood beside him.

"I see your costume didn't make it," Alumi said as she gave his chosen attire a quick once-over. "I was wondering what you were going to wear for today's basic hero training, but will your P.E uniform be enough as a replacement, Mi-kun?"

"Un, I think so…My costume didn't really have any specialized functions or anything other than my gloves, so…I'm fine with this." Izuku looked down and stared at the white glove covering his hand. He clenched it close and Alumi smiled warmly upon seeing the contented and determined look in his eyes.

A loud whistle rang through the air and everyone instantly turned towards Iida.

"Everyone! Gather around and form two lines according to your student numbers so we can all board the bus smoothly!" As if his loud announcement wasn't enough, Iida proceeded to blow on his whistle a couple more times.

"Iida-kun sure is taking his duties at full throttle…" Izuku commented, watching their classmates start to make a beeline for the bus.

As the three of them went to join the others Alumi couldn't help but wonder aloud, "I wonder where he got the whistle…Our Inchou sure is prepared." She said it more to herself though Izuku and Ochako laughed quietly beside her.

Conceding to their Inchou's orders, everyone formed two lines according to their student numbers. Numbers 1 to 10 stood on the left and 11 to 20 to the right. While Iida marshalled the remaining strays that weren't in their places yet, Alumi stepped into her designated place and found herself right in front of Bakugou Katsuki.

She instantly heard a low growl behind her. Obviously Bakugou wasn't the least bit pleased. With Alumi in his front and Izuku at his back, she figured the ash-blond probably couldn't bear the situation sandwiched between the two people he recognized as the most annoying in his class.

Smiling wryly, Alumi released a resigned sigh and shifted her attention to the bus. It was somewhat familiar, and she stared further into the windows. The glass was mildly tinted, but she could still make out most of the vague outlines inside.

" _Ara_. This bus is similar to the one we took during our entrance exam, isn't it?" she murmured to herself.

Ojiro Mashirao, who was right beside her, gave her a questioning glance. "What's the matter, Koseki-san?"

Recognizing the tailed boy who fought against Todoroki in the mock battle, Alumi was about answer him when Iida turned up beside them. He scrutinized them for a moment before nodding his head in approval and was about to move to the others when Alumi quickly raised her hand to anchor him in place.

"Iida-kun," she called.

"What is it, Koseki-kun?"

"I don't think there's a need to put everybody in lines." At his dubious expression Alumi further explained, "Do you remember our entrance exam two months ago? This bus looked like the exact same bus we took to the battle center. It may not be the exact bus, but the designs are similar, so I figured the inside must be similar as well."

"Yes, I can still remember that…" Iida replied but trailed off as he stared at the bus, his eyes widening slightly in realization.

"A quick check inside wouldn't hurt," Alumi suggested.

Iida decided to do just that. He entered the bus and came out a second later with a disconcerted and flustered look on his face. Just as everyone started to wonder what was wrong, Iida blew his whistle once more, making most of them flinch.

"Everyone! I regret to inform you that this isn't the type of bus we need to line up for! I ask you forgive me for this blunder. You may now enter and sit down wherever you please!"

While a series of cheers and befuddled reactions responded to Iida's statement, a bemused Ojiro turned to look at Alumi.

"So this is what you meant. I'm amazed you noticed something like that, Koseki-san."

Alumi chuckled. "It's no big deal. Anyone could've seen it if they looked closely."

Just then Aizawa-sensei arrived to join them and everybody immediately whirred into action and hastily went inside the bus. Since Alumi wasn't in a hurry to get the best seats in the bus like the others, she ended up having to sit in the back. While looking for a vacant seat, Alumi's eyes caught the lone figure of Todoroki beside the window, the seat on his left unoccupied. There were about three available seats at the very back, but for some reason Alumi couldn't take her eyes off that empty spot. Unconsciously and rather impulsively, her feet moved towards him.

"Can I sit with you, Todoroki-kun?"

Todoroki had his eyes closed. He opened them as soon as he heard her voice, and after staring at her for a good second, he nodded his consent. The bus finally hit the road shortly after Alumi settled beside the Half-Cold Half-Hot user. She felt a little giddy for some reason, sitting beside him. She certainly didn't expect for Todoroki to say yes though she secretly hoped he would.

The quiet whir of the bus' engine hummed ceaselessly in the background. While some of their classmates began to engage in light chatter, Alumi watched the passing scenery outside, the colors melding together into a blur with vague figures darting like a scene from a film strip. Her eyes eventually slid towards her seat mate and saw that he had his eyes closed again. He looked relaxed, but Alumi could sense a subtle tension beneath his calm exterior, like he was ready to intercept any oncoming attack in a split-second notice. It was evident in the way his back was pressed tightly against the chair, and the way his hands were tightly clenched as he carefully placed them atop his knees. In fact, someone could try and throw a brick at Todoroki right now and Alumi wouldn't even be surprised if he caught it in one hand, freeze it into bits and deliver an accurate counterattack without even opening an eye.

Then her eyes wandered to the scar over his left eye. He seemed to have acquired it a long time ago, perhaps somewhere in his childhood, and Alumi wondered if he had accidentally burned himself with his Quirk. But even with the wrinkled pigmentation on his face, Todoroki still retained his polished good looks. He was undeniably what they call a pretty boy, with his gentle features and 'cool beauty' appeal.

He must've felt her stare somehow for Todoroki unexpectedly opened his eyes, those beautifully unsettling heterochromatic eyes immediately catching hers, and he levelled her with a stare of his own.

"Do you have something you want to say?"

She blinked, caught off guard. The first thing her stunned mind registered was the sound of his voice. Husky as if he hadn't spoken in a long time and alluringly deep…Alumi mentally staggered to form a reply.

"Oh, n-not particularly…?" She immediately regretted her impulsive response. She felt an uncomfortable warmth begin to crawl across her face as Todoroki continued to watch her. This was getting _embarrassing_. Alumi couldn't remember the _last_ time she stuttered!

She figured it must've had something to do with the way he was looking at her, his eyes intense and intimidating but also entreatingly patient. And his voice…it was the first time she heard it up close, she's never heard anything like it. It was unlike Bakugou's gruff and booming voice, or Izuku's high-pitched and timid one. It was serene, like the ocean at dawn, with a resonating quality that also held suggestive hints of underlying danger. She could listen to him all day and never get bored of his voice.

Oblivious to Alumi's chagrin and growing fascination towards him, Todoroki closed his eyes and lapsed into his stoic sitting stance once again, as if accepting that was the end of their exchange. From the way she was looking at him, he had expected she would want to talk about their mutual discovery of where their respective votes went or who it went to, so he asked. But instead Alumi looked astounded and somewhat lost.

He was grateful for not having to talk, however. Todoroki disliked incessant and senseless chatter, especially when travelling. He much preferred listening to the natural sounds progressing around him, like the low drone of the engine, of the wheels running along the tarmac road, the occasional chirping of birds from a distance and the leaves rustling in the breeze. He hoped their trip towards their destination would be a long one, so he could take a little nap…

"Well…It's just you seem like the type who doesn't like talking very much." He heard Alumi say. It sounded like she just got her confident self-possession back.

Well, she certainly wasn't incorrect. Todoroki didn't mind her delayed response, but he wondered if answering her speculation would lead to more talking.

"I prefer talking only when it's necessary," he said.

Alumi made a faint hum of amusement. She wholeheartedly agrees, though she also felt tickled by his answer. _'And what exactly is a necessary conversation to you, Shouto-san?'_ She longed to ask as she stared into his peaceful face. And she would've if she hadn't heard what Tsuyu said that very moment.

"Your Quirk is similar to All Might's." The statement caused a buzz of "now that you mentioned it" reactions, and a curious look from Alumi. She wouldn't have thought much about it if she hadn't heard Izuku's anxious response next.

Now confused, she wondered why Tsuyu would say such a thing, and to Izuku no less. Slowly, Alumi teared her focus away from Todoroki and settled her full attention on the curly-haired boy with her eyebrows slanted in concern. Izuku was getting jittery now, like how he always does whenever he's extremely nervous.

"But Tsu-chan, All Might _never_ gets hurt when he uses his Quirk. They just kind of look the same," Kirishima said from beside the frog-like girl. And just like that, the red-head easily steered the abrupt topic of the uncanny similarity of Izuku's Quirk to All Might's and began a whole different subject.

Alumi's gaze never left Izuku, however, and she didn't miss how he discreetly released a relieved sigh now that Tsuyu wasn't scrutinizing him with her innocuous speculation anymore.

' _I suppose they are kind of similar._ ' She thought. ' _But there are many Quirks with similar functions especially if the people involved are genetically related.'_ Alumi paused. _'Huh. Genetically related…'_

Alumi was distracted from her thoughts when she heard Kirishima's loud statement directed at the boy beside her, something about his and the ash-blond's Quirks being both strong and flashy. Todoroki gave no reaction or any inclination that he heard what the red-head said. Bakugou, on the other hand, huffed and looked away.

"But Bakugou-chan is angry all the time, so I don't think he'll be popular, _kero_."

Tsuyu's innocent comment immediately reaped an enraged howl from Bakugou which only served to solidify her point.

"I think that's what is going to make him famous, though," Alumi couldn't resist saying.

Instantaneously Bakugou whipped his head towards her and was about to yell something when Sero beat him to it.

"That's a riot! Then everyone's gonna call him the Angry Hero!"

Alumi began to laugh with the others. It was undoubtedly fitting and had a nice ring to it. But while a huge part of her was thoroughly entertained, Alumi thought that riling the ash-blond was probably a bad idea.

"He's not himself! Somebody get him a chocolate bar!" Kaminari hollered causing another fit of laughter in the bus.

Bakugou roared, completely red in the face. "If you don't shut the fuck up you dunce-faced son of a—!"

"Bakugou! Please sit down and refrain from using your Quirk inside the bus! You'll damage school property!" Iida admonished with an agitated push of his glasses and an aerial hand chop.

"Shut up you uptight piece of shit I don't fucking care!"

"Watch out for the Angry Hero Inchou!" Kaminari cried with a snicker.

"Quiet," warned Aizawa-sensei. "We've arrived. Quit your horse playing."

Aizawa-sensei barely even raised his voice but it was enough to quell the commotion. Even Bakugou fell silent and relented with a sullen "Yes sir." with the others.

Alumi craned her neck towards the window and saw a giant dome. Soon they were inside the premises and came face-to-face with the Space Hero, Thirteen, who welcomed them warmly and led them inside. It certainly came as a surprise that he was the third instructor joining them today. Alumi only occasionally saw him on TV, but she instantly liked the Space Hero, with his child-friendly appearance and polished manners. When they finally reached the huge arch of the entrance, Thirteen stopped and allowed them a moment to observe their new environment. There was a collective sound of awe as they looked at one simulation to another, and likened the facility to the country's world-renowned theme park, Universal Studios Japan.

"From fires to floods, earthquakes and landslides...This is a training ground that I created to simulate different types of disasters and accidents." Thirteen whipped around and struck a pose. "I call it the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, or USJ!"

Alumi's smile turned wry. And from her classmates' faces she saw they were thinking the same thing. _'Ah, it really is USJ.'_

"Here, I will teach you the basics of every rescue mission spanning different disaster settings!" The Space Hero further said, earning excited cheers.

Just then Aizawa-sensei walked up to Thirteen after throwing brief glances here and there and said, "Thirteen, I don't see All Might anywhere. Where is he? He was supposed to meet us here."

Thirteen eased back into a standing position and took a step closer towards the taller man. "Ah, well...About that, Aizawa-senpai..." By the time Thirteen finished talking, Aizawa-sensei had a look of resigned irritation on his face. He and Thirteen turned to face the students once again.

"All Might is going to be late, but we will proceed as planned. Let's begin."

As her classmates shared confounded looks at Aizawa-sensei's announcement, Alumi wondered what was wrong for All Might to be late. She was really looking forward to see him so she could ask for an autograph for Chihari. But before they officially began the Rescue training, Thirteen called for their attention. He began a brief speech concerning the possible danger each of their Quirks' possessed and even made his own Quirk as an example. He delved into why society decided to create laws to regulate Quirks, and shed light on the underlying matter that irresponsible use of their Quirks could potentially take a life.

This duality of their powers was something Alumi already realized when she was a child. As she listened, a certain episode of her past began to resurface, an experience she'd rather forget, rising in a series of broken memories.

 _The sounds of wailing. The sight of a single crystallite pole with a jagged sharp tip protruding from the ground. A moment of stunned terror, of bewilderment, of fulfillment. The unforgettable sensation of gentle vibrations under her palms. The smell of blood. The sight of a little girl with her butt on the ground, staring at her with fear and accusation._

 _And then..._

" _Y-you have a Quirk...you...liar...! You...you almost killed me...!"_

 _The nauseating emotion of self-loathing and bitter regret._

Alumi blinked and straightened with a start. Her neck tingled, the sensation reverberating down to her shoulders and back, and up to the roots of that one tiny stalk of blue hair sticking out from her head. She tried to make sense of what Thirteen was saying as she reached to cover the sensitive part of her neck, but she only managed to catch his closing remarks.

"...I hope that by the time you finish this exercise, you will have fully understood that the true purpose of your powers is to help people. That is all! I thank you for your patience and undivided attention!"

An enthusiastic round of applause met Thirteen as he bowed gracefully. Alumi clapped her hands as well, but it was much quieter and done without much thought, as if her hands were on autopilot. She looked around distractedly, wondering what kind of danger they could possibly get themselves into in this place. She tried to draw a deep breath but it came up short. Alumi sighed instead, then swallowed, and lifted a hand to rub one of her arms where goose bumps had risen.

"You okay?"

Alumi gave the girl beside her a reassuring smile, though she felt it was a little stiff. "Yes...It's just it's gotten a little cold all of a sudden."

Jirou looked unconvinced but eventually acknowledged the notion. "Maybe it's because spring just rolled in. Maybe that's why the wind's still a little cold."

"All right," Aizawa-sensei started, capturing their attention. "First things first–" but Aizawa-sensei broke off when the lights flickered and died.

The dome was now completely submerged in shadows. Alumi felt the color drain from her face. Surprised murmurs immediately broke out. Below them just beyond the stairs, the irregular spouting of the fountain could be heard.

"Are they doing some kind of maintenance or something?" she heard Sero say. But she knew at once this wasn't a normal occurrence. The tingling of her nape had stopped, leaving behind a cold, hollow sense of dread.

And that's when the calm before the storm escalated into a full-blown tempest.

"Huddle together and _don't move_! Thirteen, protect the students!"

Alumi grew very cold as her mind throbbed with the effort of processing what was currently happening and of was about to happen. There was a sharp edge of unmistakable urgency in Aizawa-sensei's voice. And as they stared at him with growing concern, he was pointedly staring down at something in the distance, his rugged face taut with repressed alarm. Being the closest to the cusp of the stairs, Aizawa-sensei had a good view of the area below. Whatever he saw down there was definitely something or someone that wasn't supposed to be there. Something or someone that was definitely _not_ good.

Kirishima, who stood at the very front, must've caught a glimpse of it too because he was squinting his eyes and looked a tad bit disturbed. "What…is that? Who are those people? Is this like the entrance exam where the lesson's already started?"

Alumi furrowed her eyebrows. _'People…? We're supposed to be alone with no other_ — _'_ She froze, eyes widening in horror as she finally realized what her instincts were trying to warn her of. _'No…Those people are_ — _!'_

" _Don't move!_ " Aizawa-sensei commanded again when her classmates at the front began to stir. Alumi whipped her gaze back towards their teacher and felt her throat cinch in on itself as she saw him slip his combat goggles on. He was preparing for battle. Aizawa-sensei may have appeared calm, but that did little to moderate the chilling weight of his next words.

"Those are _villains_."

That one word unlocked a floodgate of emotion inside Alumi. Terror, revulsion, sorrow and rage. Her surroundings became a dizzying blur of varying reactions but she felt oddly detached. She couldn't understand the words that progressed around her, nor could she make out what she was staring at, as if her senses had gone numb and she was underwater. She was aware of her rapidly pacing heartbeat and irregular breathing but it was as if she was somewhere far away, watching everything unfold with morbid interest.

The next thing she knew she was being led towards the entrance, her legs moving in awkward sync with the rest of her body as she was being pulled on the arms and shoulders by both Mina and Jirou who had been trying to induce a response from her.

"…lumin? A—…o good, she mu—…gone into shock!"

"Oi, Koseki…! Wh—…ong with you? Ge—grip...! —need to escape!"

Yes, escape. They needed to get out of there, needed to go back to school—

A giant, swirling pit of inky nothingness materialized in front of them, which was unnervingly similar to Thirteen's Black Hole, except in reverse. For out of it formed a face, and from the deepest parts of it came a voice.

" _I won't let you escape_."

Alumi's nerves crackled in response, consciousness surging throughout her body with every painful throb of her heart. More indecipherable words rang through the ominous air. Above the sharp hum of faint screaming inside her ears she tried to make sense of it all. _League of Villains_. _Here to kill the Symbol of Peace. To kill All Might._

 _Kill._

Alumi raised her eyes towards the disfigured mass of black mist towering over them and felt as if she was about to be smothered underneath a familiar sense of horror. But this wasn't the past, this wasn't _that day_. There was no Haruki and this wasn't a nightmare.

 _This. Was. Real_.

A sudden explosion. Bakugou and Kirishima had launched a sudden assault, not allowing the villain to make the first move. But despite their valiant efforts, the villain remained unharmed. Physical attacks were pointless. All at once they realized that he was not an ordinary villain.

"Ahh, that's right," the black mist began as dispersed parts of him started to flow and reconstruct to their original form. "Even if you are mere students right now, you are the hero world's precious 'Golden eggs'. We can't have that. Something must be done with you." He narrowed his glowing golden eyes and expanded into an even bigger, terrifying version of himself. "It is _my_ job to scatter and torture you. You will be slain!"

Instantaneously a flurry of long, shadowy limbs shot out of the void of his body. It stretched and swarmed over and around them until they were completely shrouded in a swirling mist of malice that had the force of a surging windstorm. Alumi could barely breathe. She trembled, cold and shocked and hopeless, as if she were a little girl again. But then, suddenly, in the quivering recesses of her mind, Alumi heard the sound of a small, echoing voice, growing louder, and louder…

'… _me…Help…me…Alumi-nee...! ALUMI-NEE!'_

Alumi shot up with a strangled gasp. She immediately turned and pushed her way through the crowd, not paying heed to the turmoil around her, forcing her legs to go faster. She couldn't see where she was going and had to squint her eyes as she tried to detect Izuku amongst those she encountered, clumsily grabbing and pushing, fear and desperation heightening after every failed discovery. _'No, not him, it's not him. Where…!?'_

 _There_. Right there, at the very back.

With a low sob of relief, Alumi was about to leap for him, hands outstretched, when she felt her hands sink into a whirling hole of inky black air instead. She strained against it and craned her neck only to see that he was in the same situation as her— quivering, afraid, about to disappear as the mist began to swallow him down from the feet up.

"No, Mi-kun…!" She screamed. _'I have to reach him, I have to protect him…Mi-kun. MI-KUN!'_

But she was rapidly sinking forward into the unknown, eyes burning as a supressed howl of anguish thrashed inside of her. The last thing Alumi saw of Izuku were the tips of his curly-hair absorbed into nothingness.

He was gone.

Alumi released a small, choking whimper as she, too, resigned herself into the maw of the dark swirling pit.

.

.

.

.

.

Falling, falling. Temperature rising into a near-scalding heat.

' _So hot. Too hot…'_

Alumi opened her eyes and realized with newfound terror that she was in an isolated urban area devastated by fire. Every building was ablaze, and when she looked down she saw that she was only about six meters away from falling into a pedestrian overpass. She wasn't able to brace herself on time and was violently slammed into hard concrete. She landed on her left side, pain erupting like acid on the areas of impact—the left side of her head, left shoulder, elbow, hip and knee. She groaned and coughed as the thick smell of smoke assaulted her nose and eyes. She rolled to her knees and staggered to hoist herself up, seething at the sudden sting of throbbing pain.

Alumi clambered towards one side of the bridge and pressed her right side against the parapet as her lungs laboured for oxygen. At the same time her overwrought mind worked to process the situation.

 _'So that mist…was actually a portal? Where is this place?'_ She frantically looked around her and immediately comprehended that the fire, while frightening in its wide-spread damage, was actually tame. She dragged her gaze heavenward next and she saw the familiar dome of the USJ's fire zone. _'I see…when that villain said he'd scatter us…he meant to separate us within the USJ…Mi-kun and the others…They must've been teleported somewhere in the USJ, too…Mi-kun…he must be somewhere close.'_ Her nerves began to squirm anxiously as she thought of the boy. She should've been wherever he was. She was so close to reaching him earlier, _so close._

Alumi shook her head. _'Calm down, calm down. Mi-kun is probably still alive...and I'm still alive…But this place is…'_ She gulped as frantic beads of sweat broke over her temples and neck. Of all the places she could've fell into, it had to be somewhere with fire.

Alumi gritted her teeth and clenched her hands into fists as she was suddenly teleported somewhere in the past, in a dark place with wild crackling flames and two indistinguishable shadows darting across the fire. Her head started to ache along with the beat of her heart. Fast, vicious throbbing. She had to breathe in between the pulses of pain.

' _Why is this happening…? Why…!? Mi-kun…Please, please be safe…I can't stand it…!'_

A loud crackling noise of something snapping nearby caused Alumi to jolt back into the present. Immediately she pushed the heels of her palms against her wet eyes and pursed her lips in frustration. _'I have to stop worrying…Nothing good will come out if I lose my head here. I have to move. For now I have to take stock of the situation and find a way out of here.'_

With a deep breath, Alumi closed her eyes and exhaled slowly before opening her eyes again. With renewed vigor she reached for her belt-bag, sorting around in it for a hair-tie and for the small containers with water in it. She ended up drinking two and pressed a fist against her wet lips. Then she tied her hair into a tight low ponytail and sighed with relief now that her hair didn't feel like a thick veil of accumulating heat.

There were footsteps coming from her right. With a jolt of instinct Alumi rose to her feet and locked eyes with a tall, lanky stranger with pointed ears. _A villain_. He was carrying a club, his face twisting maliciously at the sight of her. Her defense mechanism immediately worked its way through her body, awakening every nerve and reflex with a sensation that she hadn't felt in the longest time.

"Ooooh, aren't I lucky~. I already found one!" He took a step towards her, then two, then lunged with eyes bulging and a nasty grin, with the club raised over his head. "Sorry cutie, but stay still and lemme hit'cha okay!?"

And Alumi did. Her body's immediate response was to move out of his line of range while her mind demanded she intercept, disrupt his assault and subdue him as fast as she could. But Alumi steeled herself on the spot, flexing her fingers ever so subtly as she levelled him with a stare of her own. A small unknown voice ringing from inside of her was telling her to wait, to let him be the one to come to her. Telling her that he should not emerge from their encounter _unscathed_.

Alumi waited until he reached her short range and immediately shifted her body to the side, barely managing to evade the downward swing of the club. The villain cackled with glee and was preparing to make another attack when she looked directly into his eyes and smiled into his face.

"I'm a little angry right now..." Alumi began deliberately, pleasantly, _ominously_ , and he froze at the sight as he staggered to regain his balance. In that instant of hesitation Alumi twisted her body and whipped a hand unto his neck, perfectly manicured nails digging into his jugular and unleashed the other side of her Quirk into his body.

"... _so I won't apologize for what happens next._ "

The villain gasped with a hoarse cry, his body sagging like a wilting plant. The effects of the other side of her Quirk scourged through him like a violent disease, his face turning ashen and sickly in less than a second. The light inside his eyes followed as the club fell from his lax hold and hit the ground with a heavy thud. His eyes were no longer wide with shock and rage as he felt the remains of his strength and vigor being stripped away like water going down the drain with each excruciating breath. He tried to claw at the hand gripping him by the neck but found that he couldn't even lift his own arms, couldn't even find the strength to move. He realized a beat later that her hand on his neck was the only thing that kept him on his feet.

Alumi grabbed one of his arms and dragged him towards the parapet. She didn't even look over the edge when she slowly released her hold around his neck, and he seemed to take this as a chance to move, to retaliate, but she would allow no such thing. In one fluid motion she canted him over her shoulder and turned her body into a forward throw. With a final flash of her eyes, Alumi mercilessly flipped the lanky villain over the bridge and he fell backwards with a startled scream following in his wake.

A pained groan erupted the moment he landed and a slow smirk of triumph stretched the corners of Alumi's mouth. For a moment she didn't move, lost revelling in what she had just done. She downed someone just like that before, but she realized that this, right now, was different. Her fingers were still trembling slightly and there was an incessant ringing in her ears as the wild pace of her heart awakened a strange sort of pulse that started to throb everywhere in her body. It filled her with a heaving sense of fulfillment and a nameless urge that she never felt before. It felt...good.

It was disconcerting, intoxicating. But all Alumi knew at the moment was that she needed to move, needed more _action_. She was barely aware of her feet moving towards the stairs until a distinctively familiar voice called out to her.

"Koseki-san!"

Alumi whipped her head down beyond the pedestrian overpass and saw Ojiro coming towards her with the aid of his tail, his face wrought with panic and subsequent relief upon seeing her.

"Ojiro-kun…" His name left her lips with a touch of wonderment. _'So I'm not the only one in here…I'm glad._ ' Alumi made her way down the stairs and they reached each other halfway in less than ten seconds.

"I'm glad you made it out safely, Koseki-san. I was beginning to think I was the only one that black mist guy teleported in here," he said with a shaky smile. But then, slowly, his expression changed as he stared at her. "I, uh, I was…I was somewhere nearby when I heard someone scream…Uh, Koseki-san…? A-are you okay?"

Her vision was unusually warm, or maybe it was because of the heat. Alumi blinked. "Hm? Oh, yes. What is it?" she asked, wondering what was wrong for the tailed boy to look at her like she had just sprouted a pair of horns.

Ojiro didn't answer. Instead he pursed his mouth and averted his eyes, and stared at the now unconscious villain's body a few meters away from them. "That's where the scream came from, huh."

Alumi followed his gaze and was surprised to see that he fell from quite the height. "Oh, dear. I hope he didn't die from that."

"D-don't worry Koseki-san, he only looks unconscious," Ojiro said with a mixture of unease and reluctant assurance.

"What a relief." Alumi felt her face softening by degrees and immediately formed her mouth into her default smile. "It appears we're not the only ones in here," she said, scanning their surroundings. "I take it that you encountered one of them too already, Ojiro-kun."

Ojiro responded with a grim nod. "About four of them on my way here. I managed to escape with hit-and-run tactics, but I think there are still more of them looking for us."

"I see…" Alumi murmured, eyes narrowing as she attempted to decipher the situation. "This is exactly what that villain said before he sent us here. To scatter and torture us…They clearly prepared everything in advance and intended to deal with us in droves, thinking we're helpless by ourselves without a teacher. So now they're on a hunt, and we're the prey."

Ojiro looked mildly frightened at the notion while Alumi began to grit her teeth behind her sealed lips. It was the sort of underhanded, villainous divide and conquer strategy that made her blood boil with retaliation.

"We need to get out of here and join with the others," Ojiro said as he turned to go down the stairs. "I'm worried about them, and Aizawa-sensei is fighting all by himself out there."

Alumi nodded and began to reach for her belt-bag again. "Un. But before that…here, Ojiro-kun, drink this." She handed him two of her small water containers. She only had one left now. "It's water."

Ojiro beamed with gratitude. "I really needed this! Thank you, Koseki-san."

Alumi smiled as he eagerly began to drink the two water containers. As she waited for him to finish she became aware of a growing sense of tiredness along with her dimming vision, and instantly knew that the effects of using the other side of her Quirk was beginning to manifest. Alumi placed a hand on her chest and activated that side of her Quirk again, only this time, she calibrated it to increase her stamina. _'That was reckless of me,'_ she admitted with a small frown as she felt the tiredness ebb away. _'That had been the first time...I ever used it so strongly like that. I shouldn't overdo it again. Sensei did say not to dealt someone with more than what was necessary...'_

Yet amidst the guilt for her 'excesses', Alumi felt satisfied. After all that was said and done, the villain deserved it. And what she was really guilty of doing was for magnifying the straining effects it had on herself by overdoing it. She gave herself a consoling smile and lowered her hand now that her blood levels are balanced. Beside her, Ojiro released a refreshed gasp after emptying the water containers and gave her a patient smile. She gave him a nod and together they hurriedly went down the stairs and began sprinting to where the exit was. The harsh brilliance of fire around them continued to grow, but it didn't bother her as much as the suffocating despair that persisted inside of her. _'Mi-kun…I need to find Mi-kun.'_

"This way, Koseki-san! I saw it earlier when I was on top of a buildi—"

But Ojiro broke off and stopped, Alumi doing the same, as they were met with the menacing shadows of approaching villains in front of them.

"Only two? And here I thought Kurogiri was gonna send more of these brats."

Alumi narrowed her eyes. _'Kurogiri…?'_

After the voice emerged a group of villains from the wall of smoke. Some of them had heteromorphic-type Quirks while others carried various melee weapons. Alumi and Ojiro immediately took on a defensive stance as they met face-to-face with seven villains.

"But this just makes our job easier!" came a rejoinder from the opposite direction. The one who spoke wore a Kabuki mask and carried two machetes, beside him was another villain wearing a gas mask with spikes protruding from his arms.

"Easy-peasy~. Hey, hey let me take care of the girl!" said Kabuki mask.

"Oi I saw her first!" yelled another from the opposite group.

Kabuki mask brandished his weapons and made a move towards Alumi. "Not if I get to her fi–!"

A gunshot fired, making almost every one of them jump and effectively stopping Kabuki mask. With dawning terror Alumi and Ojiro both stared at the villain who had apparently fired the shot, his arm still raised in the air. He had black hair and huge muscled arms, wearing a helmet, Kevlar vest, printed cargo pants and a red bandana covering his nose and mouth.

"Don't be hasty. They downed five of us already," he said as he lowered the gun, eyes narrowed menacingly as he stared at the two students. "They are not your run-of-the-mill brats. I know it's hard for you psychos, but refrain from playing around and kill them at once. Those are the orders, after all."

There was an ominous hum of agreement among them as they moved in slowly to surround the two, closing in to cross the twelve meter distance.

"Damn it," Ojiro cursed as he moved to stand behind Alumi, his back nearly touching hers. "Let's make a break for it, Koseki-san."

Alumi considered it, but tightened her jaw and said, "No."

"Wha–, why?"

"They're fewer than I thought," Alumi replied in sotto voce as her eyes combed through her opponents. "Which means they're just like us, scattered all over USJ. We might as well deal with them here, as I'm sure it's what the others are doing. If we don't, they're just going to track us down until they kill us."

"If you put it that way, then I really have no choice," Ojiro replied with a rueful grin.

"We're going to be fine, Ojiro-kun…" she whispered. "Let me deal with the ones in front as my Quirk is suitable against larger groups."

The tailed boy conceded reluctantly. "All right. Watch out for the one with the gun…he's the most dangerous, but he isn't making a move yet despite talking about killing us right away."

"Yes, he means to let the others do the work for him, it seems. But I assure you, Ojiro-kun. I won't let him hit us. These villains…I will not let them do as they please and get away with it."

As the last word left her lips Alumi directed her gaze towards the villain with the gun, narrowing her eyes in defiance while he narrowed his in smug amusement.

' _Mi-kun, please wait just a little longer. After I'm done here, I'll come directly to you. Please wait for me…'_

"Oi, oi. Having a chat in front of your killers, you must be confident~," said the villain wielding a sword whose voice they recognized as the one who spoke first earlier.

"What can I say? We're not your run-of-the-mill brats," Ojiro shot back. "Why don't _you_ quit the chatter and try to kill us already!"

Alumi was impressed. Ojiro was clearly well-versed in combat as he knows that riling his opponents was one way to gain an advantage. She smiled and maintained an amiable expression as she looked at those in front of her one by one in the eye. She smiled wider, and amidst the constant heat that surrounded them, she knows that the familiar overwhelming sensation she felt did not come from the fire. Silently she prayed that the Aluminum Oxide gathering below them would be enough.

"Come, you _Uninvited Sinister Jerks_ ," she said, almost seething and nearly giggling at the pun. "We won't play around with you, either."

"You're going to be sorry for looking down on us adults!" one of them roared as they all attacked at once.

Alumi shot both of her palms on the ground and summoned a huge semi-circle crystal wall in front of her. It continued to grow as five crystalline pillars immediately flew out of it and slammed into their targets' chests, including the one with the gun. It bent and simultaneously pinned them to the ground while those at the sides were pinned into the wall of a nearby building. She could hear Ojiro already engaging in combat behind her while the villains she downed erupted with curses and promises of retribution. Sensing a presence to her left, Alumi immediately slammed a palm on the ground and sent a pillar towards her attacker with a flick of her wrist. She pressed her hand on the crystal next and softened the pillar's tip, making the crystal coil around the villain's arms before hardening it again. Then she slammed hard him into the ground, rendering him unconscious the moment his head hit the cement.

Gunshots fired one after another and Alumi saw her crystal wall begin to crack. The villain with the gun kept on firing and screaming like a madman, completely losing his facade of calm and superiority now that he was immobile.

"You _little shits!_ I'll send you to _hell!_ "

With a low unimpressed huff, Alumi summoned another crystal wall in front of the first, then another for good measure. She sensed Ojiro come up beside her and from the looks of it, he had just finished dealing with his share of villains, his tail swinging slightly from side to side.

"Should we leave him like that?" he asked as the villain with the gun continued his useless barrage of bullets.

"Probably not…Stay here." Alumi walked closer to her crystal wall. She peered around the wall, lowered to the ground on her haunches and conjured a small liquefied mass of crystal from below his hand, the one holding the gun, and hardened it. The villain yowled with furious frustration. Ignoring his nasty remarks, she walked out from behind the crystal wall and conjured more crystalline pillars to double the restraints on the villains she pinned. The villains' livid screams quickly became hysterical as they started screeching about how they were gonna get braised alive.

"So noisy…" Alumi murmured, an eye twitching with irritation. "This is the consequences of your actions. Reflect in your containment," she said as she turned away, her words containing an edge that was chilling amid the blazing atmosphere.

Ojiro wore a conflicted smile on his face as Alumi walked back towards him. "This, uh, this was quicker than I thought," he commented good-naturedly as they basked in the aftereffects of their battle.

"Yes, a little too quickly. We were lucky, I suppose. They seemed to be just regular thugs, a dime a dozen found in back alleys…Anyway, we did a good job. First time for everything, right, Ojiro-kun?"

"Uh, y-yeah. Not exactly what I had in mind, but…"

Noticing his unease, Alumi shot him a glance and saw a rather large, bleeding diagonal cut on his tail.

"Oh dear. Ojiro-kun, please lend me your tail."

He turned to her with confusion and saw that she had just pulled a thin roll of bandage out of her belt-bag, along with a tiny spray of what he guessed was disinfectant. "You've been cut. There, on your tail. Let me treat it," she said, her eyes never leaving his wound.

"It's not very serious but it does sting a lot…" Ojiro readily shifted his body to the side and lowered his tail. He grinned amusedly as he watched her. "I'm envious of that bag of yours, Koseki-san. I wish I included something like that with my costume."

"You should," she chimed as she deftly worked to treat the cut. "You never know what you might need, and it's always good that you're prepared for unforeseen incidents like this."

' _Huh, unforeseen incidents like this one…and we're in the USJ…huh.'_ Alumi chuckled in her thoughts at the irony of it all.

"What kind of stuff are you carrying in there, anyway?" Ojiro asked just as she finished securing the bandage around his tail.

Alumi spoke as she returned the tiny disinfectant spray inside her belt-bag. "Hm, let's see…Small water containers like the ones I gave you earlier, basic First Aid necessities, a couple of rolled bandages, some supplements and…some candy."

"Candy?" Ojiro reiterated with a laugh as he turned to face her fully while his tail swayed with gratitude. "What for?"

"I intended it for rescue operations as well, but you never really know when you might need it," she said. Then she turned towards the tailed boy, her eyes glinting slyly. "Why, do you want one?"

His answer came in the form of an eager swishing tail.

* * *

The two Hero-Aspirants successfully made their way out of the Fire Zone, both of them chewing on something as they ran towards a large metal door bearing a glowing green sign above it that read 'EXIT'.

"So…" Ojiro began as he threw her a sidelong glance. " _Uninvahted Sinista Jewksu_ …Uninvited sinister jerks, huh? I kinda like the sound of that."

Alumi let out a laugh just as they reached the exit. The metal door opened automatically upon sensing their impending presence and the two burst out into the open air, fresh, cool wind hitting them at once. Panting, Ojiro doubled over with his hands on his knees while Alumi rolled her shoulders back and brought a hand to her chest, both of them taking huge inhales of air to calm their aching lungs. They exchanged wobbly smiles, both of them sweaty with heat-parched faces, but safe.

As they straightened their backs, the two quickly became aware of a tense, ominous atmosphere looming over the USJ. They sobered immediately, expressions settling into grim determination as resounding sounds of battle persisted in the distance. Slowly they started to move again, silent with the mutual understanding that they were not out of the woods just yet.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Ojiro is among the characters in BNHA that tend to be underrated which is a little disconcerting cuz he's kickass and has a cool Quirk, and also has an impressive sense of morals that was easily forgotten during the Sports Festival Arc. He has the makings of a gentleman and is actually a bit of a cinnamon roll himself, and he's just so fuckin' adorable** **≡(*′▽`)っ** **My heart really goes with this guy and I'm so happy that he's developed so much in the recent Joint Training Arc in the Manga. When I first thought of where to put Alumi in the USJ and with who, Ojiro was the one who first came to mind. Of course I thought of other factors as well such as the fact that he was the only one in the Fire Zone and that fire definitely plays a big role to Alumi's PTSD tendencies.**

 **Now concerning Alumi, there were certainly lots of emotional turmoil happening in here. First her mom and now meeting villains for the second time. Something is definitely starting to change inside of her, and while _real_ sinister villains like Kurogiri scare her, frauds and small fries only piss her off. **

**Anyhow, I'm quite confident of how this turned out, though I didn't expect for it to turn into a whoppin' 10, 000+ words lol.**

 **Tidbit time~!**

※ **About Reika's Quirk, it's called "Bloom." Her Quirk enhances her or another living thing's 'Glow' factor by increasing their blood circulation and cell regeneration. Her Quirk also allows her to transfer that 'Glow' to any other living thing, and by stimulating it, can make them bloom to their full capacity. As a drawback, Reika feels drained and her skin dries when overused. She also needs to eat lots of fruits and foodstuffs full of Vitamin B and C to recharge her Quirk. Her name comes from the Kanji (** **麗** **–** **Rei) meaning "beautiful, lovely" and (** **花** **–** **Ka) meaning "flower, blossom".**

※ " **Uninvahted Sinista Jewksu" – Believe me, I had a good laugh out of this one too the moment I typed it into existence (even now, actually. I'm howling with giggles 'cuz it's just so embarrassing but it had to be done ¯\\_(** **ツ** **)_/¯ ). The explanation behind this is because I wanted to create a setting that's more or less similar to the BNHA universe. The language they use is obviously Japanese, but they we can see that they sometimes include foreign words in their lingo, as portrayed by some of the characters in the series (think All Might, Present Mic and Aoyama who occasionally say English and French words, respectively) and I intend to do that here, too. And so, to clarify, the Italized** _ **'Uninvited Sinister Jerks'**_ **Alumi first mentioned, she said that in English. Ojiro then repeated that in its 'Romaji' state before 'translating' it in Japanese. Hence why I had him say it like this:** " _Uninvahted Sinista Jewksu_ …Uninvited sinister jerks, huh?" **I didn't put those words in its Romaji version the first time Alumi said it because I felt it would ruin that slight feral moment she had going on. So yes, thank God for Tail Boy for clearing that up. And I hope I was able to convey this slightly confusing tidbit properly to you dear readers. Kudos to those who immediately got it before they even get to read this explanation though! Lemme mentally stamp a huge 'Very Good' star on your hand, I'm so fuckin' proud of you! *u***

* * *

 **In reply to the Guest Reviews:**

 **Leslie (Jan 1):** You bet! Thank you! 'u'

 **Guest (Jan 17):** Thanks for the warm welcome! ;u; It's really good to be back with a new chapter for ya'll after about 11 months later ヽ(^o^)丿

 **Guest (May 13):** It's always a good day whenever someone enjoys my concept and find it interesting. Thanks for making my day~ヽ༼ຈل͜ຈ༽ﾉ✿

 **Guest (Oct 12):** And you totally rock for picking up on that! High five! Thanks for dropping by~ ヘ( ^o^)ノ＼(^_^ )

* * *

 **Oh and I'm gonna go ahead and go out on a limb here but somebody in youtube who goes by the username** **traceyedits** **made this _AMAZING_ Anime Music Video about my son Katsuki entitled _'Weak'_. ****Bakugou Katsuki-lovers such as myself will surely enjoy it. The editing and precious Kacchan moments are totally on point, and that** _ **song**_ **...! *swoons***

 **I** **go back to see it every day now, seriously! And if you take a look at the video's description,** **traceyedits** **said something that really resonated with me:** _ **"**_ _ **When inspiration strikes you, not even self-doubt can stop you."**_ **Modern day hero right there, folks.** **So yeah, go ahead and check it out. It may blow your mind a bit~** **(ﾉ** **ಠ** **ヮ** **ಠ** **)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧** **(contains some spoilers though for those who haven't seen Season 3 in the Anime and haven't reached the Summer Camp Arc in the Manga yet).**

 **And one last thing.**

 **Because BNHA is a series pertaining heroes, I would like to express my grief over the death of** **Mr. Stan Lee** **, the legendary creator/editor of Marvel Comics who died last November 12, 2018 at the age of 95. He's finally found his peace, but I'm afraid the days before his death were not quite so. He left this world without resolving the dark issues that lurked in corners of his life, and that for me is the true death, leaving the world knowing you couldn't change anything on the issues that secretly kill you inside. Alive but carrying burdens and not knowing who to trust anymore, living caged in a never endless cycle of hope and despair. I don't know this guy personally nor am I that big of a fan, and I'm really running my mouth here on some issues that may or may not be true, but after reading some articles revolving his life and the controversies concerning his daughter and certain men who claim to 'love' Mr. Lee with all their hearts, it's just, it really breaks my heart.** **It's a cesspool of a story that leaves you drained and shrivelled with terror knowing that some people are capable of doing horrible things to those who loved them. And the worst part is that you don't know which parts of it are true, or who to believe, and what to believe.**

 **I'm not even sorry for dragging this into my fanfic. My point is, I want you guys to be aware. Not just on this matter, but that this is the reality we face. It happened to Mr. Lee, and it can happen to any of us. And when the time comes for you, that you feel like dying, or caged, please, embrace yourself if no one's there for you. Take a walk, breathe, go stargazing, pet a dog or a cat, listen to the nature around you, find a new hobby, watch that Bakugou amv I was just talking about. But most importantly, be honest with yourself. Love yourself, love life. Life really is ugly, but it's also undeniably beautiful. And I'm just gonna leave this here:**

* * *

 **Farewell, Mr. Stanley Martin Lieber.**

 **We'll see you in your cameos in Captain Marvel and The Avengers Infinity War: Part 2.**

 **You will surely be remembered, forever immortalized in your creations.**

 _ **~1922-2018~**_

 **・** ｡ ゜✿ _**A True Hero**_ ✿ ゜ **｡** **・**

 **…**

 **..**

 **.**

* * *

 **[Date Posted/Uploaded]: November 14, 2018.**  
 **[Edited]: Altered/elaborated an action scene, changed some terms and fixed some grammatical and misspelling errors.**


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